Left ventricular hypertrophy and ventricular dysrhythmic risk in hypertensive patients: evaluation by programmed electrical stimulation.
Left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients is associated with an increased prevalence of ventricular arrhythmias. Twelve patients with left ventricular hypertrophy assessed by M-mode echocardiography and 12 without left ventricular hypertrophy underwent an electrophysiological study with programmed electrical stimulation. The patients with left ventricular hypertrophy had a prolonged infranodal conduction time which correlated closely with left ventricular mass (r = 0.71; P less than 0.001). Programmed electrical stimulation initiated more intraventricular re-entry and unsustained ventricular tachycardia in the group with left ventricular hypertrophy than in the control group, although sustained ventricular tachycardia was never induced. We conclude that ventricular vulnerability is increased in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy, especially in those who show electrocardiographic evidence of left ventricular hypertrophy.
Coste
P
P
Hôpital Cardiologique, Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, France.
Clementy
J
J
Besse
P
P
Bricaud
H
H
D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000473:pathology*; D004452:Echocardiography; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology