AIM  To explore the effects of stage 3 hypertension on the cardiac structure and function in young patients with isolated diastolic blood pressure up to the range or with both diastolic blood pressure and systolic blood pressure up to the range.

  METHODS  Ninety-three healthy subjects were recruited in control group, 86 subjects were recruited in isolated diastolic blood pressure (DBP) group and 101 subjects were recruited in both diastolic blood pressure and systolic blood pressure (DBP+SBP) group. The heart structure and function were measured by echocardiography and left ventricular mass fraction (LVMI) and relative wall thickness (RWT) were calculated by data from echocardiograph measurement. The differences of the heart structure and function were compared between the three groups.

  RESULTS  Compared with those in control group, the levels of SBP, DBP and mean blood pressure (MBP) were increased in DBP group. Compared with those in DBP group, the levels of SBP and MBP in DBP + SBP group were higher, but there was no marked difference in the DBP level （P<0.05）. The cardiac structure analyzed by echocardiography showed that between the three groups there were no marked differences in the left ventricular transverse or anteroposterior diameter, right ventricular transverse or anteroposterior diameter, right atrial transverse diameter and left atrial transverse diameter. But the left atrium anteroposterior diameter in DBP group or DBP+SBP group was higher than that in control group, but there was no marked difference between the former two groups （P<0.01）.The analysis of related left ventricular hypertrophy showed that the thickness of ventricular septum, the thickness of left ventricular posterior wall, LVMI and RWT in DBP group or DBP + SBP group were higher than those in control group （P<0.05）, but there was no significant difference between the former two groups. In the analysis of cardiac functions, we found that there was no marked difference in EF and FS between the three groups. However, compared with that in control group, E/A was markedly decreased in DBP group and DBP + SBP group （P<0.05）, but there was no marked difference between the latter two groups.

  CONCLUSION  Left ventricular hypertrophy and left atrium anteroposterior diameter are increased and left ventricular diastolic ability is decreased in young patients with stage 3 diastolic hypertension, and stage 3 systolic hypertension has no clear effect on these changes.