title: Carotid atherosclerosis and right ventricular diastolic dysfunction in a sample of hypertensive Nigerian patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the association of carotid atherosclerosis and right ventricular diastolic dysfunction (DD) among treated hypertensive Nigerian patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a single center cross-sectional study performed at the Cardiology Clinic of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Nigeria between January and December 2012. The study included 122 hypertensive Nigerians (mean age, 57.3±14.7 years, 36.9% women). Patients' clinical, demographic, and echocardiographic parameters were obtained. Diastolic dysfunction was assessed with the trans-tricuspid Doppler flow.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with DD were significantly older than those with normal diastolic function. Mean and maximum carotid intima media thickness measurements were significantly higher among patients with right ventricular DD than in those with normal diastolic function. Mean systolic blood pressure (148.3±31.9 vs 128.0±2.8 mm Hg, P=0.049) and interventricular septal thickness in diastole (12.8±2.3 vs 11.6±2.8 mm, P=0.048) were significantly higher and tricuspid annular pulmonary systolic excursion (33.6±4.9 vs 23.0±4.2 mm, P=0.035) was significantly lower in patients with right ventricular DD than in those with normal diastolic function. Carotid intima media thickness measurements were correlated with early trans-tricuspid Doppler flow and early transtricuspid diastolic flow/late right atrial transtricupsid diastolic flow ratio.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Right ventricular DD in hypertensive patients was significantly correlated with increased carotid atherosclerosis. Carotid intima media thickness measurements may therefore be a surrogate marker for DD in hypertensive subjects.
authors.affiliation: Akintunde A.A., P.O. Box 3238, Osogbo, Nigeria, iakintunde2@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Adeseye A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Akintunde
authors.forename: Philip B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Adebayo
authors.forename: Ademola A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Aremu
authors.forename: Oladimeji G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Opadijo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003971:Diastole; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*