Assessment of left ventricular diastolic function in essential hypertension patients by Doppler echocardiography

Objective To assess left ventricular diastolic function in the patients with essential hypertension by Doppler echocardiography.Methods 60 normotensives,61 hypertensives without hypertrophy(NLVH) and 57 with hypertrophy(LVH) (LVMI,left ventricular mass index124g/m 2 in males and 110g/m 2 in females) underwent 2DE and Doppler echocardiography.Results The ratio of early to late peak velocity(E/A) was 1 21±0 25 in normotensives and 0 96±0 20 in NLVH patients(P0 01);reversed pulmonary venous flow at atrial systole wave PA was(31 70±7 7) vs(38 9±5 8)cm/s(P0 01) in normotensives and in NLVH patients respectively.The isovolumic relaxation time(IRT) and left atrial dimension(LAD) had significant differences in three groups(P0 05～0 01).EF value was similar between normotensives and NLVH patients,but it was lower in LVH patients(P0 01).Conclusions E/A ratio,PA wave,Pai,IRT,C index and LAD are sensitive parameters indicating mild diastolic left ventricular dysfunction.Systolic left ventricular function has no change in NLVH patients.Spectral Doppler echocardiography is a practical and reliable technique in the noninvasive assessment of the left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in patients with essential hypertension.