title: Normotensive offspring of hypertensive parents: no evidence of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in a cross-sectional study.
abstract: Left ventricular filling alterations occur early in the development of systemic hypertension. We tested the hypothesis that alteration of diastolic filling might be present in a normotensive population with increased genetic risk for hypertension in the absence of increased left ventricular mass. In a blinded study we compared 31 lean, normotensive offspring of hypertensive parents having normal left ventricular mass (risk group) with 30 matched individuals without family history of hypertension (control group). Left ventricular diastolic function was assessed using Doppler echocardiography. Transmitral flow velocities showed no significant differences between the two groups. Peak early diastolic flow was 0.79+/-0.12 m/s and 0.79+/-0.13 m/s in the risk group and control group, respectively. Peak late diastolic flow was 0.44+/-0.08 in the risk group and 0.42+/-0.11 m/s in the control group. The ratio of early to late diastolic velocity was 1.85+/-0.32 and 1.94+/-0.37. The deceleration time of the early diastolic flow was identical in both groups: 138+/-24 ms and 138+/-23 ms. There was no significant prolongation of the isovolumic relaxation time in the risk group: 75+/-17 compared to 73+/-17 ms in the control group. Doppler measurements showed no correlation with left ventricular mass. We conclude that, in this cross-sectional study, young normotensive offspring of hypertensive parents do not exhibit Doppler echocardiographic signs of diastolic filling alteration in the absence of increased left ventricular mass.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology, University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland. aeschbac@insel.ch
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Aeschbacher
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Allemann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hopf
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weidmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003971:Diastole; D004452:Echocardiography; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000235:genetics*; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left