DETERMINANTS OF LEFT-VENTRICULAR ADAPTATI ON TO HYPERTENSION

The level of arterial pressure is not the sole determinant of cardiac adaptation to hypertension. In order to identify other factors (such a s preload as well as neuro-humoral factors) we categorized by M-mode e chocardiography, 192 never treated patients with mild to moderate hype rtension of short duration, according to values of end-diastolic relat ive wall thickness (RWT) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI). Mitra l regurgitation was excluded in all patients by Doppler echocardiograp hy. Among hypertensive patients, LVMI and RWT were normal in 43 % (gro up 1), whereas 20 % had increase RWT with normal LVMI <<concentric rem odeling>> (groupe 2), 24 % had concentric hypertropy (increase both LV MI and RWT) (group 3) and 13 % had increased LVMI with normal RWT (ecc entric hypertrophy) (group 4). Results presented as means +/- SD.