Relation of ambulatory blood pressure load with left ventricular geometry in untreated patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension

Whether ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) load is associated with left ventri cular (LV) geometry was assessed in 335 patients (range 32-72 years) with s tage I-II essential hypertension by performing 24-h ABP monitoring and echo cardiographic examination. Of these 335 hypertensive subjects, 116 (34.5%) had normal LV geometry, 136 (40.5%) had concentric LV remodelling, 37 (11%) had eccentric LV hypertrophy and 46 (14%) had concentric LV hypertrophy ac cording to the relative wall thickness and left ventricular mass index. Sub jects with concentric LV hypertrophy had significantly increased 24-h systo lic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP) and mean arterial pressure as well as incr eased 24-h SEP and nap load compared to those with normal LV geometry or co ncentric LV remodelling while there was no difference in the above paramete rs in comparison with the subjects with eccentric LV hypertrophy. The incid ence of patients with normal LV geometry was significantly decreasing and t he incidence of patients with LV-CH was significantly increasing as the deg ree of ABP loads were increasing. Using multiple regression analysis models with each type of LV geometry as a dependent variable and various degree o f ABP loads as independent variables, it was revealed that normal LV geomet ry was significantly related with normal values of 24-h SEP and DBP load (P < 0.05) while there was not any significant relation between concentric LV remodelling and 24-h Sap or DBP load values. Concentric LV hypertrophy was significantly related with increased values of both 24-h SEP and usp load (P < 0.05) while eccentric LV hypertrophy was significantly related with in creased values of 24-h DBP load only (P < 0.05). In conclusion normal LV ge ometry is associated with normal values of SEP and DBP load while concentri c LV hypertrophy is associated with increased values of both SEP and DBP lo ad.