Relation of arterial structure and function to left ventricular geometric patterns in hypertensive adults.
OBJECTIVE
The present study sought to determine whether conduit artery structure and function vary according to the pattern of left ventricular adaptation to hypertension.


BACKGROUND
Although left ventricular geometric pattern has been shown to predict cardiovascular events in hypertension, the arterial status in patients with the different patterns is unknown.


METHODS
We evaluated arterial structure and function by carotid ultrasound and applanation tonometry in 271 unmedicated hypertensive patients classified by echocardiography as having normal ventricular geometry (n = 176), concentric remodeling (n = 54), concentric hypertrophy (n = 16) or eccentric hypertrophy (n = 25).


RESULTS
All groups were similar in age, gender distribution and body size. Patients with concentric and eccentric hypertrophy had similar blood pressures (mean 173/100 and 171/99 mm Hg, respectively) and left ventricular mass, but compared with patients with normal left ventricular geometry and concentric remodeling, only those with concentric hypertrophy had increased arterial wall thickness (0.96 +/- 0.20 vs. 0.80 +/- 0.18 mm, p < 0.05), end-diastolic diameter (6.38 +/- 0.97 vs. 5.76 +/- 0.87 mm, p < 0.05), cross-sectional area (22.1 +/- 5.71 vs. 16.6 +/- 5.4 mm(1)2 p < 0.05) and elastic modulus (713 +/- 265 vs. 471 +/- 241 dynes/cm2 x 10(-5), p < 0.05). Patients with concentric remodeling and eccentric hypertrophy had similar values for these measures (0.85 +/- 0.22 and 0.89 +/- 0.21 mm, 5.67 +/- 0.77 and 6.04 +/- 0.44 mm, 17.2 +/- 5.4 and 19.7 +/- 5.9 mm2, 558 +/- 263 and 614 +/- 257 dynes/cm2 x 10(-6), respectively), despite lower systolic blood pressures in the former group (156/94 mm Hg, p < 0.001). The prevalence of plaque was comparable in patients with concentric (56%) and eccentric (42%) hypertrophy and significantly greater than that in patients [corrected] with normal geometry (21%).


CONCLUSIONS
Among patients with generally mild, uncomplicated systemic hypertension, arterial structure and function are most abnormal when concentric left ventricular hypertrophy is present and may contribute to the more adverse outcome associated with this geometric pattern.
Roman
M J
MJ
Department of Medicine, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, New York 10021, USA.
Pickering
T G
TG
Schwartz
J E
JE
Pini
R
R
Devereux
R B
RB
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004452:Echocardiography; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged