Is there a relationship between ambulatory intra-arterial blood pressure and left ventricular function?
The relationship between ambulatory intra-arterial blood pressure and left ventricular ejection fraction was examined in a group of 23 untreated hypertensive subjects who underwent concurrent radionuclide ventriculography. All patients had a normal ejection fraction at rest (range, 50-80%), and no significant correlation was found between blood pressure and resting ejection fraction. Sixty-one percent of patients failed to increase their ejection fraction by 5% on exercise; the mean daytime systolic pressure (168 +/- 15 mm Hg) was lower in this group than in those who had a normal exercise response (188 +/- 17 mm Hg; p less than 0.005). Thirty percent of patients had left ventricular hypertrophy based on electrocardiographic criteria; this group had a higher mean blood pressure (189 +/- 20 mm Hg) than the remainder (170 +/- 15 mm Hg; p less than 0.05). A closer correlation was demonstrated between blood pressure and ejection fraction response to exercise in the group with left ventricular hypertrophy (r = 0.8) than in the group without hypertrophy (r = 0.3). These results failed to demonstrate a linear relationship between blood pressure and ejection fraction. However, a relationship between the height of blood pressure and the development of left ventricular hypertrophy was shown, and myocardial response to exercise was increased in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy.
Heber
M E
ME
Department of Cardiology, Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow, Middlesex, United Kingdom.
Brigden
G S
GS
Prince
H
H
Lahiri
A
A
Raftery
E B
EB
D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D011187:Posture; D011875:Radionuclide Angiography; D013318:Stroke Volume