Association between ambulatory blood pressure and left ventricular diastolic functions in patients with hypertension

AIM:To investigate the relationship between different parameters of blood pressure and left ventricular diastolic function in patients with hypertension. METHODS: The study was performed in 137 patients with hypertension who were questioned for clinical history and given a physical examination, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, echocardiography, and blood biochemistry detection. Inner diameters of left and right atriums during end-systolic period, left ventricular diameter of end diastolic period, and ejection fraction (E/A) were measured by echocardiography to analyze left ventricular diastolic functions. E/A fraction was used to evaluate the left ventricular diastolic function. Patients were divided into two groups according to their E/A fraction: normal left ventricular function group with E/A≥1 (n=54) and abnormal left ventricular function group with E/A <1 (n=83). Ambulatory blood pressure was measured and blood biochemistry detection was conducted. Correlation between left ventricular diastolic function and parameter changes of patients' 24-h blood pressure was analyzed using χ2 test. RESULTS: Twenty-four-hour systolic blood pressure and left ventricular diameter of end diastolic period in the abnormal left ventricular function group was significantly higher than in the normal left ventricular function group (P<0.05). Partial correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between left ventricular function and LVEDD and 24-h SBP (r=0.70, 0.40, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Left ventricular diastolic function is positively related to the 24-h systolic blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension.