title: Correlation between Left Ventricular Mass Index and Calcium Metabolism in Patients with Essential Hypertension.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the correlation between left ventricular mass index and calcium metabolism in patients with essential hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven patients with essential hypertension and 20 healthy individuals were compared with respect to calciotropic hormones, left ventricular mass index (LVMI), and urinary and serum biochemical parameters. The correlations between parathormone, vitamin D, and calcitonin levels and LVMI and blood pressure elevation were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The parathormone level was significantly higher (p=0.006) and vitamin D level was significantly lower (p=0.01) in the patient group compared with the control group. However, the two groups were similar in terms of albumin-corrected calcium levels, which were within the normal range (p=0.988). The serum sodium (p=0.014) and urinary calcium (p=0.003) levels and LVMI (p<0.01) were also significantly higher in the patient group. No significant correlations were determined between ambulatory blood pressure and parathormone and vitamin D levels, but a significant correlation was found between LVMI and parathormone level (p=0.06) in hypertensive patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Essential hypertension alters calcium metabolism, causing calciuresis by hypernatremia. Parathormone release increases to compensate for this, and leads to protein synthesis, which in turn provokes the development of myocardial hypertrophy.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of 2 Internal Medicine, Okmeydanı Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayşen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Helvacı
authors.affiliation: Clinic of 2 Internal Medicine, Okmeydanı Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Besime
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Copur
authors.affiliation: Clinic of 2 Internal Medicine, Okmeydanı Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adaş
keywords: Essential hypertension; calcium metabolism; left ventricular hypertrophy; parathormone