title: Dimensions of the left ventricle, atrium, and aortic root in pregnancy-induced hypertension.
abstract: Chronic hypertension induces changes in the structure of the left ventricle, atrium, and aortic root. However, the effects of transient hypertension are unclear. Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) offers a natural and spontaneous model of this condition. Using M-mode echocardiography, we studied 95 consecutive patients with PIH, who were compared with 83 normal pregnant women (NPW). We evaluated diastolic diameter (DD), systolic diameter (SD), septal thickness (ST), posterior wall thickness (PWT), shortening fraction (SF), relative wall thickness (RWT), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), left atrial dimension (LAD), and aortic root dimension (ARD). Patients with PIH had higher ST (9.98 +/- 1.47 mm v 8.96 +/- 1.43 mm, P < .000), PWT (9.28 +/- 1.48 mm v 8.55 +/- 1.35 mm, P < .000), LVMI (107.65 +/- 27.87 g/m2 v 92.38 +/- 17.99 g/m2, P < .000), and RWT (0.406 +/- 0.06 v 0.377 +/- 0.06 mm, P < .002). There were no significant differences in DD, SD, SF, LAD, and ARD. In conclusion, PIH increases the LVMI due to an increase in the ST and PWT. The dimensions of the left ventricle, left atrium, and aortic root do not change.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. bvazquez@intramed.net.ar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vázquez Blanco
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Grosso
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bellido
authors.forename: O R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Iavícoli
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Berensztein
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ruda Vega
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lerman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria; D006346:Heart Septum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*