title: Assessment of left ventricular geometrical patterns and function among hypertensive patients at a tertiary hospital, Northern Tanzania.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  With hypertension, the cardiovascular system changes to adapt to the varying neuro-humoral and hemodynamic changes and this may lead to the development of different left ventricular geometric patterns, each carrying a different risk profile for major adverse cardiovascular events.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a consecutive sampling technique, a cross-sectional, prospective, hospital based study was done and two hundred and twenty seven (227) hypertensive patients were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The distribution of different abnormal LV geometrical patterns was 19.8%, 28.2%, 22% for concentric remodelling, concentric hypertrophy and eccentric hypertrophy respectively. With echocardiographic criteria, the proportion of patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) was higher when left ventricular mass (LVM) was indexed to height(2.7) than to body surface area (70.0% vs. 52.9%). Duration of hypertension markedly influenced the type of LV geometry with normal LV geometry predominating in early hypertension and abnormal geometrical patterns predominating in late hypertension. The left ventricular fractional shortening decreased with duration of hypertension and was common in patients with eccentric hypertrophy. Age of the patient, systolic blood pressure, duration of hypertension and body mass index were found to be independent predictors left ventricular hypertrophy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  About 70% of hypertensive patients had abnormal geometry existing in different patterns. Eccentric hypertrophy had more of clinical and echocardiographic features suggestive of reduced left ventricular systolic function. Hypertensive patients should be recognized as a heterogeneous population and therefore stratifying them into their respective LV geometrical patterns is useful as way of assessing their risk profile as well as instituting appropriate management.
authors.affiliation: Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, PO Box 2240, Moshi, Tanzania. lasikoki@gmail.com
authors.forename: Lairumbe Korduni
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Silangei
authors.forename: Venance Philis
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Maro
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Diefenthal
authors.forename: Gibson
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kapanda
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dewhurst
authors.forename: Hery
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mwandolela
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hamel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D013636:Tanzania; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left