Left ventricular functional state in patients with essential hypertension and during various types of left ventricular hypertrophy at rest and isometric handgrip exercise

Echocardiograms were obtained from 292 patients with essential hypertension aged 30-59 years (mean 48+/-6,4 years). Mean duration of the disease was 7,6+/-5,9 years. Blood pressure in all patients was above 139/89 mm Hg for at least 1 month prior to the study. One hundred thirty four patients (46%) had stage I essential hypertension and 158 patients - stage II essential hypertension with signs of left ventricular hypertrophy. The following types of hypertrophy were distinguished: asymmetric with preponderant septal hypertrophy (52 patients or 18%), eccentric (33 patients or 11%), concentric (46 patients or 16%), and mixed (27 patients or 9%). In 145 patients (79 without and 66 with signs of left ventricular hypertrophy) echocardiograms were registered during isometric handgrip exercise. Patients with eccentric hypertrophy had systolic-diastolic while those with concentric hypertrophy - mostly diastolic dysfunction. Asymmetric hypertrophy at rest was associated with moderate signs of diastolic dysfunction together with moderate decrease of global myocardial contractility.