RESTING DIASTOLIC FUNCTION AND LEFT-VENTRICULAR MASS ARE RELATED TO EXERCISE CAPACITY IN HYPERTENSIVE MEN BUT NOT IN WOMEN

We evaluated the impact of diastolic function and gender on exercise c apacity in sedentary, untreated hypertensive subjects (34 men, 23 wome n) using echocardiography and a bicycle ergometry with measurement of oxygen consumption (VO2). In men, peak (A) mitral inflow velocity and left ventricular (LV) mass were inversely related to peak VO2 (r = -0. 64) and maximal workload (r = -0.57) and were the sole independent det erminants of exercise capacity. In women, there was no relationship be tween any echocardiographic measure and exercise capacity. Thus, LV ma ss and Doppler-determined diastolic function predict maximal VO2 in hy pertensive men but not in women. This finding may be related to gender differences in the contribution of diastolic filling to exercise capa city or may reflect limitations of resting Doppler echocardiography to predict exercise diastolic filling in hypertensive women. Am J Hypert ens 1998;11:1252-1257 (C) 1998 American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd.