title: Echocardiography in hypertension: a call for standardization from the Working Group on Heart and Hypertension of the Italian Society of Hypertension.
abstract: The variety of clinical information provided by the echocardiogram (i.e. assessment of left ventricular (LV) structure and geometry, systolic/diastolic function, left atrial and aortic size) in addition to its superior sensitivity for LV hypertrophy detection compared to electrocardiogram are strong arguments supporting the paramount importance of this technique in the assessment of hypertensive heart disease. A number of limitations of the echocardiographic technique, however, including lack of standardized/quantitative procedures, impair its diagnostic accuracy and cost-effectiveness. The aim of these recommendations is to provide a document on the minimum acceptable requirements for the clinical practice of echocardiography in the hypertensive setting and thus to improve the quality of this fundamental tool in the cardiovascular risk stratification of hypertensive patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science, University of Milano-Bicocca, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy, cesare.cuspidi@unimib.it.
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cuspidi
authors.forename: Maria Lorenza
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Muiesan
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: De Luca
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salvetti
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Agabiti-Rosei
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schillaci
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity