Relationship between the changes of heart structure and function and atrial fibrillation in patients with essential hypertension

Objective To investigate the changes of heart structure and function in patients with essential hypertensive(EH) complicated with atrial fibrillation(AF).Methods All 125 patients with EH were recruited which included EH without AF(Group A,n = 75),EH with paroxysmal AF(Group B,n = 30),EH with persistent or permanent AF(Group C,n = 20).The arrhythmias were monitored by 24-houre ambulatory electrocardiogram,while the heart structure and function were evaluated by Doppler-chocardiography.Plasma level of B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP) was measured by a point-of-care immunoassy.Results The left atrial diameters(LAD),interventricular septal thickness(IVST),left ventricular posterior wall thickness(LVPWT),left ventricular end systolic diameters(LVESd),left ventricular end diastolic diameters(LVEDd),left ventricular mass index(LVMI),relative left wall thickness(RWT),and plasma level of BNP in Group C were the highest,and the left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) was the lowest,and were significantly different from those in Group A and B(P 0.05).The LAD,LVMI,and plasma level of BNP in Group B were greater than those in Group A(P 0.05).Conclusion Heart structure and function were changed in patients with EH complicated with AF,especially in those complicated with persistent or permanent AF.