MYOCARDIC STRUCTURE AND A STUDY OF ARRHYT HMIAS DURING AMBULATORY ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC REGISTRY IN SLIGHT ESSENTIAL-HYPERTENSION

BACKGROUND: The development of arrhythmias in patients with high blood pressure has been related to the presence of left ventricular hypertr ophy. The aim of this study was to determine the presence and relation ship between left ventricular hypertrophy and arrhythmias in patients with slight arterial hypertension. METHODS: One hundred and two indivi duals (54 males and 48 females), 51 of whom were hypertensive and 51 n ormotensive, were included in the study. None of the subjects had rece ived antihypertensive treatment. Twenty-four hour electrocardiographic registry, echocardiogram and ambulatory blood pressure monitorization were performed. RESULTS: Fifty one percent of the hypertensive indivi duals had left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) versus 18% of the normote nsive subjects. Supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias were equa lly frequent in the hypertensive and the normotensive subjects as were the episodes of ST depression (7.8% versus 9.8%, respectively). Both types of arrhythmias were correlated with the age of the hypertensive subject, Twenty-seven of the hypertensive subjects had white coat hype rtension. The left ventricular mass in these subjects was similar to t hat of the hypertensive subjects with maintained hypertension and both were greater than the normotensive subjects. In regard to the frequen cy of LVH in the hypertensive subjects with maintained hypertension, 1 5 (62.5%) did not differ from either the LVH in white coat hypertensiv e subjects 11 (40.7%) or in regard to the frequency of supra and ventr icular arrhythmias. On multivariate analysis both types of arrhythmias correlated with the index of ventricular mass in the hypertensive pat ients in both males and females. CONCLUSIONS: Left ventricular hypertr ophy may develop early in hypertension although it is not related to a greater frequency of arrhythmias in patients with slight arterial hyp ertension.