DOPPLER ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENT OF FILLING AND EMPTYING PARAMETERS AND AMBULATORY BLOOD-PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS IN NORMOTENSIVES AND HYPERTENSIVES

To evaluate the relationship between off ice and ambulatory BP measure ments and filling and emptying parameters, 15 hypertensive and 15 cont rol subjects underwent both 24 hour ambulatory BP monitoring and Doppl er echocardiography. No patient received antihypertensive medication f or 3-4 weeks, had echocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy (grea ter-than-or-equal-to 12 mm) or a diastolic BP greater than 100 mm Hg. The time from R wave on the electrocardiogram to onset of ejection was prolonged in hypertensives (P < 0.05). There were no differences betw een the hypertensives and normotensives for diastolic filling abnormal ities. Finally, neither office nor ambulatory BP correlated with eithe r Doppler filling or emptying parameters.