Use of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring data to predict left ventricular mass in hypertension

Background Many studies have shown definite but weak correlations between 2 4 h blood pressure and left ventricular mass in hypertension. Objective The present study applied an original multivariate analysis of pa rameters from ambulatory blood pressure monitoring to predict left ventricu lar mass in hypertension. Methods Two hundred untreated hypertensive subjects (age=51 +/- 13 years, c linic blood pressure=163/ 98 mmHg) had echocardiography and 24 h recording of blood pressure. Data from 102 subjects were used to construct a mathemat ical model for prediction of left ventricular mass. The remaining 98 subjec ts were used to validate the model. Results The model included age, weight. height, 24 h systolic blood pressur e, heart rate over 24 h, standard deviations of systolic blood pressure and of heart rate over 24 h, Using this model, we explained 63% of the varianc e of left ventricular mass. Moreover, the model was validated for the corre lation (r= 0.70) between measured and the estimated left ventricular mass. Conclusions Systolic blood pressure, heart rate and their standard deviatio ns over 24 h contribute to left ventricular mass in hypertensive subjects, Thus, it is important to take into account not only blood pressure but also heart rate in clinical studies. (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.