Relation of left ventricular geometry and function to systemic hemodynamics in hypertension: The LIFE study

Objectives: To clarify the relations of systemic hemodynamics to left ventricular (LV) geometric patterns in patients with moderate hypertension and target organ damage. Background: LV geometry stratifies risk in hypertension, but relations of LV geometry to systemic hemodynamic patterns in moderately severe hypertension have not been fully elucidated. Design: Cross-sectional case-control study. Setting: Baseline findings in the echocardiographic substudy of the Losartan Intervention For Endpoint Reduction in Hypertension Study (LIFE) and in a normotensive reference group. Patients/participants: Nine hundred and sixty-four patients with Stage I-III hypertension and LV hypertrophy by Cornell voltage duration criteria ((SV3 + RaVL [+ 6 mm in women]) × QRS > 2440 mm × ms) or modified Sokolow-Lyon voltage criteria (SV1 + RV5/RV6 > 38 mm), and 366 apparently normal adults. Interventions: None. Methods: Two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiograms were used to classify hypertensive patients into groups with normal geometry, concentric remodelling and concentric and eccentric hypertrophy, and to measure stroke volume (SV), cardiac output, peripheral resistance and pulse pressure/SV as a measure of arterial stiffness. Comparisons were adjusted for covariates by general linear model with the Sidak post-hoc test. Results: Mean SV was higher in patients with eccentric hypertrophy (83 ml/beat) and lower with concentric remodeling (68 ml/beat) than in normal adults (73 ml/beat). Cardiac output was highest in patients with eccentric LV hypertrophy and lower with concentric remodeling than eccentric hypertrophy; mean pressure and peripheral resistance were equally high in all hypertensive subgroups, whereas pulse pressure/SV was most elevated (by a mean of 47% versus reference subjects) with concentric remodeling and least so (mean + 15%) with eccentric hypertrophy. In multivariate analysis (Multiple R + 0.68), LV mass was independently related to higher systolic pressure, older age, SV, male gender and body mass index (all P < 0.001). Relative wall thickness was independently related (Multiple R + 0.50) to older age, higher systolic pressure, lower SV (all P < 0.001) and higher body mass index (P + 0.007). SV and cardiac output were lower in patients with low stress-corrected midwall shortening. Conclusion: In patients with moderate hypertension and ECG LV hypertrophy, the levels of SV and pulse pressure/SV, are associated with, and may be stimuli to different LV geometric phenotypes.