[Myocardial structure and study of arrhythmias during ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring in mild essential hypertension].
BACKGROUND
The development of arrhythmias in patients with high blood pressure has been related to the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy. The aim of this study was to determine the presence and relationship between left ventricular hypertrophy and arrhythmias in patients with slight arterial hypertension.


METHODS
One hundred and two individuals (54 males and 48 females), 51 of whom were hypertensive and 51 normotensive, were included in the study. None of the subjects had received antihypertensive treatment. Twenty-four hour electrocardiographic registry, echocardiogram and ambulatory blood pressure monitorization were performed.


RESULTS
Fifty one percent of the hypertensive individuals had left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) versus 18% of the normotensive subjects. Supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias were equally frequent in the hypertensive and the normotensive subjects as were the episodes of ST depression (7.8% versus 9.8%, respectively). Both types of arrhythmias were correlated with the age of the hypertensive subject. Twenty-seven of the hypertensive subjects had white coat hypertension. The left ventricular mass in these subjects was similar to that of the hypertensive subjects with maintained hypertension and both were greater than the normotensive subjects. In regard to the frequency of LVH in the hypertensive subjects with maintained hypertension, 15 (62.5%) did not differ from either the LVH in white coat hypertensive subjects 11 (40.7%) or in regard to the frequency of supra and ventricular arrhythmias. On multivariate analysis both types of arrhythmias correlated with the index of ventricular mass in the hypertensive patients in both males and females.


CONCLUSIONS
Left ventricular hypertrophy may develop early in hypertension although it is not related to a greater frequency of arrhythmias in patients with slight arterial hypertension.
Pose-Reino
A
A
Departamento de Medicina, Servicios de Medicina Interna y de Cardiología, Complejo Hospitalario Hospital Xeral de Galicia.
González-Juanatey
J R
JR
Pastor
C
C
Méndez
I
I
Estévez
J C
JC
Cabezas-Cerrato
J
J
D000328:Adult; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004452:Echocardiography; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors
Estructura miocárdica y estudio de las arritmias durante el registro electrocardiográfico ambulatorio en la hipertensión arterial esencial ligera.