CHANGES OF SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC LEFT-VE NTRICULAR FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEFT-VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY UNDER INFLUENCE OF LONG-TERM TREATMENT WITH NIFEDIPINE

Twenty-nine patients with left ventricular hypertrophy due to hyperten sion (17 with asymmetric and 12 with concentric myocardial hypertrophy ) and 13 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and asymmetric left ventricular hypertrophy were studied by M-mode and Doppler echocardio graphy before and after 6 months of treatment with nifedipine. In pati ents with hypertension significant decrease of left ventricular mass w as observed Irrespective of the type of ventricular hypertrophy. This was accompanied by improvement of left ventricular diastolic function. Despite decrease in blood pressure no changes in left ventricular sys tolic function were noted. In patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopath y improvement of left ventricular diastolic function also occurred des pite absence of significant changes in myocardial mass.