Effects of beta blockers on left ventricular diastolic function: the importance of optimal heart rate reduction.
Left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction is an important cause of heart failure in hypertensive heart disease. The aim of this study is to establish the effects of beta blockers on LV diastolic function and long axis motion in patients with arterial hypertension.


METHODS
Sixty patients (aged 55 +/- 8 y) with mild-to-moderate arterial hypertension were treated with beta blockers for 12 weeks. Clinical and echocardiographic assessment was done prior to and after the treatment. Doppler transmitral flow velocity recording was used to evaluate left ventricular diastolic function. Left ventricular long axis function was analysed using digitized M-mode tracings of mitral annulus motion.


RESULTS
Therapy with beta blockers resulted in an increase in the transmitral early to late diastolic velocity ratio (from 0.90 +/- 0.22 m/s to 1.00 +/- 0.26 m/s, P < 0.05), and systolic amplitude of mitral annulus motion (from 7.9 +/- 1.5 mm to 8.4 +/- 1.6 mm, P < 0.05). The changes in left ventricular diastolic function and mitral annulus motion parameters were related to changes in heart rate. When the heart rate was reduced to 57-68 bpm, left ventricular diastolic and long axis functions improved.


CONCLUSIONS
Beta blockers can improve left ventricular diastolic and long axis function when a significant heart rate reduction is achieved in patients with mild-to-moderate arterial hypertension.
Jurkevicius
Renaldas
R
Department of Cardiology, Kaunas University of Medicine, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Sakalyte
Gintare
G
Kavoliŭniene
Ausra
A
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists