Clinical study on left ventricular function in patients with essential hypertension

Objective To explore left ventricular function in patients with essential hypertension.Methods 176 patients with essential hypertension were divided into four groups: normal left ventricle(group A,46 cases),concentric remodeling(group B,53 cases),concentric hypertrophy(group C,40 cases) and eccentric hypertrophy(group D,37 cases),and 35 normal subjects served as the control group.The conventional echo-Doppler parameters assessed included:left atrial diameter(LA),left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVDd),interventricular septal end-diastolic thickness(IVS),left ventricular posterior wall thickness(LVPW),left ventricular mass index(LVMI),relative wass thickness(RWT),E/A ratio,ejection fraction(LVEF) and Tei index.Results Compared with the control group,in groups C and D,the systolic pressures were higher and LA was larger.In groups B and D,IVS,LVPW were slightly thickened.E/A in all hypertension groups was decreased(P0.05).The LVEF was significantly reduced in group D(P0.05).Tei index in all hypertension groups was prolonged.The plasma concentration of BNP in groups B,C and D significantly raised.Conclusions Tei index and BNP were valuable and easy to estimate left ventricular systolic and diastolic functions with high sensitivity.