Abstract
Background and objectivesMultiple studies support the prognostic role of both ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in patients with hypertension. Consequently, we evaluated the correlation between certain ambulatory BP monitoring parameters and left ventricular mass (LVM) measured by echocardiography in a sample of hypertensive patients. Material and methodsA cross sectional, retrospective study was performed in 405 patients (53.8% women; mean age, 55.5 years), diagnosed with essential hypertension and referred to the Hypertension and Vascular Risk Unit by their primary care centers between 1 January, 1998 and 31 August, 1999. All patients underwent clinical and biological evaluation (using a standardized protocol), echocardiography, and 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (SaceLabs 90207). ResultsAmbulatory BP monitoring revealed poor BP control in 320 patients (79%); the mean dip in systolic BP was 10.6±0.9%. The dipper pattern was observed in 43.8%, the extreme dipper pattern in 13.4%, the non-dipper pattern in 30.2%, and the riser pattern in 12.6%. Left ventricular hypertrophy was identified in 248 patients (61.23%). An increase in ambulatory nocturnal BP was associated with an increase in LVM (p<0.0001) and a statistically significant negative correlation was observed between the drop in BP and the increase in LVM (P<.0001). ConclusionAn increase in LVM was associated with nocturnal hypertension and a decrease in the nocturnal drop in BP.
Published Version
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