Left ventricular mass and functions in normotensive offspring of hypertensive parents: an echocardiographic study.
OBJECTIVE
Published observations about cardiovascular alterations in normotensive individuals genetically predisposed to develop essential hypertension are conflicting. We tested the hypothesis that abnormalities in left ventricular mass and/or functions may be present in normotensive children of hypertensive parents.


METHODS
One hundred normotensive offsprings (6 to 18 year age) of hypertensive parents (OHP) and an equal number of age- and sex-matched normotensive offsprings of normotensive parents (ONP) were studied with 2-dimensionally guided M-mode and Doppler echocardiography for left ventricular (LV) dimensions, mass, and systolic and diastolic functions.


RESULTS
Both the groups had similar body mass index and blood pressure levels. LV dimensions and LV mass in OHP were higher than the corresponding values in ONP but the differences were not statistically significant. LV mass in male OHP was higher than in female OHP; LV mass was also higher when the mother rather than father was hypertensive. None of these differences were statistically significant, however. LV systolic functions were normal and identical in the two subject groups. Indices of LV diastolic function (peak early filling velocity and its deceleration time and late filling velocity) were also normal and similar in the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that children with a family history of essential hypertension have modest alterations in LV mass and these alterations might have a genetic basis separate from but possibly co-inherited with the trait of essential hypertension.
Jalal
Sheikh
S
Department of Cardiology, Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, Srinagar, Kashmir.
Rauoof
Malik A
MA
Khan
Khurshid A
KA
Hamid
Shazia
S
Waheed
Abdul
A
Jan
Vicar M
VM
Lone
Nazir A
NA
Rather
Hilal A
HA
Habib
Kaiser
K
Alai
Sultan M
SM
Kumar
Dharminder
D
Singh
Charanjeet
C
D000293:Adolescent; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002648:Child; D004452:Echocardiography; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left