The correlation between midwall function and carotid intima-media thickness in hypertensive patients.
- Author:
Kyung Hun LEE
1
;
Yeo Won CHOI
;
Soo Hee CHOI
;
Kwang Ho LEE
;
Ki Woo SEO
;
Eun Young KIM
;
Kwang Je LEE
;
Sang Wook KIM
;
Tae Ho KIM
;
Chee Jeong KIM
;
Wang Seong RYU
Author Information
1. Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang Universit, Seoul, Korea. w2283@nate.com
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Hypertension;
LV systolic function;
Midwall fractional shortening;
Intima-media thickness
- MeSH:
Adult;
Blood Pressure;
Carotid Arteries;
Carotid Intima-Media Thickness;
Echocardiography;
Humans;
Hypertension;
Prevalence;
Prognosis
- From:Korean Journal of Medicine
2008;74(4):376-384
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND/AIMS: In hypertensive patients, LV ejection fraction may be normal or high, thus limiting assessment of prognosis. This has led to a growing body of research using LV midwall fractional shortening (MWS) instead. The current study aims to assess LV midwall function in hypertension patients and to study its correlation with the intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery. METHODS: Echocardiography and ultrasonography of the carotid artery were conducted to establish a group of hypertension patients without major complications (n=136) and a control group (n=48). LV MWS was determined using two cylindrical models, and the IMT was measured. RESULTS: Compared with normotensive subjects, hypertensive adults exhibited higher LV mass index and lower LV MWS. A statistically significant correlation was found between the LV MWS and the average IMT in hypertension patients (r=-0.41). There was also a significant negative correlation among the maximum IMT (r=-0.40), LV mass index (r=-0.32), age (r=-0.31), and systolic blood pressure (r=-0.22). Regarding the prevalence of plaque in the carotid artery, the stage 1 hypertension group exhibited 16.7% prevalence, and the stage 2 hypertension group 32.9% prevalence, thereby showing far higher figures than the control group's 4.2%. CONCLUSIONS: The LV MWS in hypertension patients underwent a statistically significant decrease, and the correlation between LV MWS and the IMT of the carotid artery was found to be high compared with the general blood pressure index. LV MWS can be used as an indicator to assess the prognosis of hypertension patients.
