HYPERTENSIVE HEART-DISEASE - HOW DOES BLOOD-PRESSURE AFFECT LEFT-VENTRICULAR MASS

Currently, echocardiography is the most accepted tool for diagnosing t he left ventricular hypertrophy that characterizes hypertensive heart disease; electrocardiography is not adequately sensitive. The symptoms and signs of coronary artery disease (CAD) and of hypertensive heart disease are similar and include angina, myocardial infarction, systoli c and diastolic heart failure, atrial fibrillation, ventricular ectopy , and sudden death. Thallium stress testing is useful for excluding si gnificant CAD; a positive test requires cardiac catheterization to eli minate large-vessel disease as the cause of myocardial ischemia. Regre ssion of left ventricular hypertrophy is a treatment goal.