[Arterial hypertension and the right heart. A hemodynamic and echocardiographic study].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of arterial hypertension on the pulmonary circulation and the right heart.


METHODS
Coronary Care Unit (UTIC Arsénio Cordeiro) Hemodynamics Laboratory and Medicine I Echocardiography Laboratory-Santa Maria Hospital.


METHODS
38 hypertensive patients separated in two groups: 24 with thickened septum and left ventricular posterior wall (10 with hemodynamic evaluation)--Group A--and 14 without thickening--Group B; a control group of 12 healthy volunteers--Group C.


RESULTS
The hypertensive patients with hemodynamic evaluation had normal pulmonary capillary wedge pressure the average pulmonary resistance (135.29 +/- 63.47 dyn.cm.5), pulmonary systolic (31.30 +/- 10.01 mmHg) and mean pressures (18.23 +/- 8.21 mmHg) were raised, but the diastolic pulmonary pressure was normal. The right ventricle systolic pressure was raised (32.10 +/- 9.12 mmHg) and there was no modification of the right atrial or ventricular telediastolic pressures. On echocardiography there was a diastolic thickening of the right ventricular free wall in both group A (7.08 +/- 1.41 mm) and B (4.07 +/- 1.00 mm) as compared to group C (3.08 +/- 0.51 mm); there were similar findings regarding systolic thickness with statistical significance in group A (p less than 0.001). The right ventricular ejection fraction was normal in both groups. There was a positive correlation between the diastolic thickness of left ventricular posterior wall and right ventricular free wall in hypertensive patients and normotensive volunteers (r = 0.7754; p less than 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest an anatomic an functional relationship between both ventricles regarding the cardiac repercussions of arterial hypertension.
Nogueira
J B
JB
Medicina 1, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisboa.
Mourão
L
L
Morais
C
C
Freitas
A
A
Silva
D
D
Soares-Costa
J T
JT
da Costa
J N
JN
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003971:Diastole; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D008875:Middle Aged; D013599:Systole; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right / Q000502:physiology*
Hipertensão arterial e coração direito. Estudo hemodinâmico e ecocardiográfico.