[Improvement of the pre-hypertensive inherited cardiac dearangements with phenylalanine in essential hypertension].
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether phenylalanine intervention can effectively improve the pre-hypertensive inherited cardiac hypertrophy and systolic dysfunction in young offsprings of patients with essential hypertension (ER).


METHODS
Ninty-six normotensive adolescents with hypertensive family history and associated with inherited cardiac hypertrophy, i.e, interventricular, septum (IVST) and (or) left ventricular post wall thickness (PWT) > or = 10.5 mm, were screened according to the normal range criteria of ultrasonic-cardiogram (UCG) obtained previously from 50 normotensive adolescents without hypertensive genetic predisposition. The UCG parameters before and after 3, 6, 9 months of observation were compared between intervention group (Phe 1 g/d 58 subjects) and placebo-control group (placebo 1 g/d, 38 subjects) in 2 separate trials by a double-blind, randomized, cross-over and comparable placebo-control design.


RESULTS
The hypertrophy and dilatation of ascending aorta and left heart structure were regressed after intervention, i.g, the changes after 9 months intervention, IVST dropped from 10.9 +/- 1.2 to 9.2 +/- 0.6 mm, PWT from 9.5 +/- 1.0 to 8.6 +/- 0.6 mm, left ventricular mass index from 92 +/- 15 to 70 +/- 11 g/m2; All of the parameters reflecting the systolic function of left ventricle were improved in pooled group of 2 trials. The UCGs after placebo was fundamentally not changed except some sporadic values. The results were similar in 2 separate trials. The improvement after Phe and its return towards that of pre-intervention after stope were remarked at 6 months.


CONCLUSIONS
The inherited cardiac dearrangement seen in adolescents with hypertensive genetic predisposition can be assumed to be the pre-hypertensive changes of EH. It can be reversed by phenylalanine--a natural and essential amino-acid.
Zhao
G
G
Shanghai Institute of Hypertension, Shanghai Second Medical University.
P6u
H
H
Fan
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005192:Family Health; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D010649:Phenylalanine