Determinants of right ventricular pressure in mild hypertension

Objective Doppler echocardiography was used to define reference values and determinants of tricuspid regurgitation peak velocity (TRV) in hypertensive patients. A TRV value > 2.5 m/s is the threshold usually defining abnormal right ventricular systolic pressure. Design and patients Doppler echocardiography was performed in 320 consecuti ve uncomplicated hypertensive patients, without overt pulmonary or heart di sease. Doppler echocardiography included LV mass measurement, LV inflow and pulmonary venous flow analysis, LV systolic function and TRV measurements. Results Among 320 patients 255 had normal TRV < 2.5 m/s and 65 had elevated TRV greater than or equal to 2.5 m/s. Compared with the normal TRV group, the elevated TRV group was older (60 versus 50 years, P < 0.0001), systolic blood pressure was higher (156 versus 151 mmHg, P = 0.02) and antihyperten sive therapy was more frequent (68 versus 51%, P = 0.02); indexed LV mass w as higher (45.4 versus 40.6 g/m(2.7), P = 0.001), pulmonary D wave peak vel ocity was higher (42 versus 38 cm/s, P = 0.03). In univariate analysis, age was the most predictive variable of TRV (r = 0.36). In multivariate analys is, three variables were independently related to TRV: age, LV mass, pulmon ary D wave (multiple r = 0.47). Conclusion In mild hypertension, TRV is independently related to age, and t o a lesser extent, to LV morphology and LV filling pressure. In clinical pr actice, age should be taken into account to interpret TRV. (C) 2001 Lippinc ott Williams & Wilkins.