Platelet aggregation in patients with various forms of left ventricular hypertrophy and its changes at long-term follow-up and treatment

Aim. To study platelet aggregation (PA) in patients with left ventricular h ypertrophy (LVH) in essential hypertension (EH) and hypertrophic cardiomyop athy (HTCM), and to assess aspirin treatment effects. Material and methods. A general clinical examination, echocardiography, 24- h monitoring of ECG and arterial pressure, bicycle exercise, test for plate let aggregation, routine blood biochemical tests were performed in 30 mates with EH and LVH, 30 males with HTCM and 10 healthy controls. Results. It was found that the patients had high platelet sensitivity to ag gregation inductors as well as high spontaneous aggregation. LVH severity c orrelated positively with activation of spontaneous and induced platelet ag gregation. This dependence is unrelated to arterial pressure or the disease duration. Patients with episodes of silent myocardial ischemia had a more pronounced rise in spontaneous and induced platelet aggregation than those without silent ischemia. A long-term administration of aspirin significantl y lowered spontaneous and induced platelet aggregation, depression of ST se gment. The above changes occurred both in HTCM and in hypertensive patients with LVH. Conclusion. Platelet aggregation correlates with severity of LVH and episod es of silent silent myocardial ischemia both in patients with hypertension, LVH and HTCM.