Prognostic significance of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in essential hypertension.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to assess the prognostic value of alterations in left ventricular (LV) diastolic function in patients with essential hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Alterations in LV diastolic function are frequent in patients with hypertension, even in the absence of LV hypertrophy, but their prognostic significance has never been investigated.

METHODS: In the setting of the Progetto Ipertensione Umbria Monitoraggio Ambulatoriale (PIUMA) study, we followed, for up to 11 years (mean: 4.4 years), 1,839 Caucasian hypertensive patients (50 +/- 12 years, 53% men, blood pressure (BP) 156/98 mm Hg) without previous cardiovascular events, who underwent Doppler echocardiography and 24-h BP monitoring before therapy. The early/atrial (E/A) mitral flow velocity ratio was calculated and corrected for age and heart rate (HR).

RESULTS: During follow-up, there were 164 major cardiovascular events (2.04 per 100 patient-years). The incidence of cardiovascular events was 2.47 and 1.65 per 100 patient-years in patients with an age- and HR-adjusted E/A ratio below (n = 919) and above (n = 920) the median value, respectively (p < 0.005 by the log-rank test). In Cox analysis, controlling for age, gender, diabetes, cholesterol, smoking, LV mass and 24-h systolic BP (all p < 0.05), a low age- and HR-adjusted E/A ratio conferred an increased risk of cardiovascular events (odds ratio 1.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11 to 2.18, p < 0.01). A 21% excess risk was found for each 0.3 decrease of the adjusted E/A ratio (95% CI from +2% to +43%; p = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS: Impaired LV early diastolic relaxation, detected by pulsed Doppler echocardiography, identifies hypertensive patients at increased cardiovascular risk. Such association is independent of LV mass and ambulatory BP.