Relationship between left ventricular hypertrophy of essential hypertension and carotid atherosclerosis

Objective To determine the prevalence of carotid artery atherosclerosis(CAS) in patients with essential hypertension(EH) and relation of left ventricular hypertriphy to carotid atherosclerosis.Methods Doppler and two-dimensional echocardiograph was performed in 168 patients with EH and 120 control subjects.To quantify the extent of CAS,the intimamedia thicknesses(IMT) of carotid artery,and left ventricular marker were measured.Results IMT was significantly thicker in the hypertension group.The percentage of detection of arterial plaque was also higher in hypertension group than in control group(72.1% vs 20.0%).IMT of carotid artery increased in hypertensive subjects of grades 2 and 3 when compared to control subjects and hypertensive subjects of grade 1.There was positive relation between IMT of carotid artery and LVMI(P0.01).Conclusion IMT of carotid artery can increase in hypertensive patients and it is related to left ventricular hypertrophy.Carotid artery atherosclerosis is a good predictor for left ventricular hypertrophy.