PREVALENCE OF LEFT-VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY IN A HYPERTENSIVE POPULATION

Aims This investigation was set up to study the prevalence of left ven tricular hypertrophy in a hypertensive population with reference to a normotensive control group. From the general population 3498 men and w omen aged 35, 45, 55 and 65 years old were invited to a health examina tion. Participants with blood pressure above 160 mmHg systolic or 95 m mHg diastolic or those taking antihypertensive medication or having do ne so during the previous 6 months were asked to undergo an echocardio graphic examination. Normotensive controls were randomly selected from the same population. Of 552 participants in the final study populatio n, 194 were normotensive controls and 358 were in the hypertensive gro up. Echocardiographic measurements were made according to the Penn con ventions and indexed for body surface. Cut-off values for left ventric ular hypertrophy were 134 g.m(-2) for males and 102 g.m(-2) for women. Results Overall, the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy was 1 4%/20% (men/women) in normotensives and 25%/26% in hypertensives (P<0. 01). After subdivision by age and sex, there was a significant differe nce in the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy between normoten sives and hypertensives only in the 65-year-old group (P<0.02 for male s and P<0.05 for females). Conclusion The association between blood pr essure and left ventricular hypertrophy in the general population is w eak. Left ventricular hypertrophy is only significantly more frequent among hypertensives as compared to normotensives in older people.