Early changes in left ventricular diastolic and systolic function assessed by speckle tracking imaging in patients with essential hypertension

Abstract

Objective To observe the value of speckle tracking imaging(STI) in assessing early changes of left ventricular diastolic and systolic function in patients with essential hypertension (EH). Methods Sixty-five EH patients with left ventricular normal geometry (LVN) ,including 33 cases with non-left atrial enlargement(NLAE) and 32 cases with left atrial enlargement (LAE),and 45 normal persons out of them were recruited as study subjects. Peak systole (S), peak early diastole (E'), peak late diastole (A')and E'/A' ratio at longitudinal strain rate(SrL) of three segments in long-axis views and radial strain rate (SrR),circumference strain rate(SrC) and rotation rate(RotR) of three levels in short-axis views were measured. Results There were no segment differences between A' at SrL in three segments or level differences between S and A' at SrR and S at SrC in three levels in NLAE group and LAE group. Compared with controls,NLAE group and LAE group had significantly decreased S and E' at SrL and E'/A' at SrL, SrR and SrC,increased A' at SrL,SrR and SrC and E' at RotR. Conclusions It was indicated by STI that early LV dysfunction in EH was appeared on diastolic as well as systolic dysfunction. Key words: Echocardiography; Ventricular function,left; Hypertension; Speckle tracking imaging