Prevalence and severity of echocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients in clinical practice.
OBJECTIVE
The prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in human hypertension has been mostly documented in population-based samples and selected hypertensive cohorts. Rather scant data are available from clinical practice. Thus, we examined the prevalence of LVH in a large group of hypertensive patients referred by general practitioners to a routine echocardiographic examination.


METHODS
A total of 2249 hypertensive subjects (mean age 62 years, 52.3% men, 84.5% treated) referred by their practitioners to 17 outpatient echocardiographic laboratories across Italy for detection of hypertensive early cardiac damage were included in the study. LVH was defined as left ventricular mass (A) ≥ 225/163 g, (B) ≥ 116/96 g/m(2), (C) ≥ 49/45 g/m(2.7) in men/women, respectively; LVH was graded as mild, moderate and severe according to Lang's report.


RESULTS
Overall, patients with LVH were 58%, 58% and 65% by criteria A, B and C, respectively. LVH was mild in 33% (A), 36% (B) and 29% (C), moderate in 31% (A), 28% (B) and 27% (C), and severe in 36% (A), 36% (B) and 44% (C).


CONCLUSIONS
Data provided by this multicentre nationwide survey support the view that, despite therapeutic interventions, LVH remains a highly frequent phenotype in human hypertension and that severe LVH is present in a large fraction of hypertensives.
Cuspidi
Cesare
C
Department of Clinical Medicine and Prevention, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy. cesare.cuspidi@unimib.it
Negri
Francesca
F
Muiesan
Maria Lorenza
ML
Capra
Anna
A
Lonati
Laura
L
Milan
Alberto
A
Sala
Carla
C
Longo
Marcella
M
Morganti
Alberto
A
D001794:Blood Pressure; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D058005:General Practitioners; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index