ABSTRACT
Objective:To evaluate the effects of different blood pressure control levels on left ventricular myocardial mechanics in patients with primary elderly hypertension by using two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2D-STI).Methods:A total of 315 elderly patients with essential hypertension diagnosed in Bethune Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University from January to June 2017 were collected and randomly divided into standard antihypertensive group and intensive antihypertensive group. The patients who were receiving antihypertensive drugs were treated with antihypertensive drugs more or less, and the patients who had not yet been treated started antihypertensive drugs therapy. The blood pressure was adjusted to the target value within 3 months (blood pressure in standard antihypertensive group was controlled at 130-150/<90 mmHg, intensive antihypertensive group was controlled at 110-130/<80 mmHg). All patients were followed up for 24 months. After 24 months of antihypertensive drugs treatment, 26 cases of lost follow-up, substandard blood pressure or poor image quality were excluded, and 289 patients were included, standard antihypertensive group ( n=148), intensive antihypertensive group ( n=141) . During the same period, 71 age-matched people without essential hypertension were selected as control group. Comprehensive echocardiography were performed in all subjects at baseline and 24 months. The longitudinal strain of the inner, middle and outer layers (GLS-endo, GLS-mid, GLS-epi) of the whole left ventricle were obtained by two-dimensional speckle tracking technique. The routine echocardiographic and left ventricular strain parameters were compared at baseline and 24 months. Results:①At baseline, the end-diastolic thickness of interventricular septum (IVSD), the end-diastolic thickness of left ventricular posterior wall (LVPWD), the end-diastolic diameter of left ventricle (LVEDD), the left ventricular mass index (LVMI), the relative wall thickness (RWT) and the ratio of early diastolic mitral flow velocity to early diastolic mitral annulus velocity(E/e′) in two antihypertensive groups were higher than those in the control group, and the levels of GLS-endo, GLS-mid and GLS-epi were lower than those in the control group(all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in routine echocardiographic parameters and strain parameters between standard antihypertensive group and intensive antihypertensive group (all P>0.05). ②After 24 months of antihypertensive drugs treatment, LVEDD and E/e′ in standard antihypertensive group and IVSD, LVPWD, LVEDD, LVMI, RWT, E/e′in intensive antihypertensive group were lower than those at baseline, and IVSD, LVMI and RWT in intensive antihypertensive group were lower than those in standard antihypertensive group (all P<0.05). ③After 24 months of antihypertensive drugs treatment, GLS-endo, GLS-mid and GLS-epi in two antihypertensive groups were higher than those at baseline, and GLS-endo, GLS-mid, GLS-epi in intensive antihypertensive group were higher than those in standard antihypertensive group(all P<0.05). Conclusions:①The left ventricular myocardial mechanics is damaged and the systolic function is decreased in elderly patients with essential hypertension; ②The myocardial mechanics is significantly improved after antihypertensive treatment, with more improvement in intensive antihypertensive treatment patients.
ABSTRACT
Objective@#To evaluate the characteristics of left ventricular structure, function, myocardial mechanics, hemodynamics and synchrony in different phenotypes of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) using state-of-the-art echocardiography.@*Methods@#A consecutive series of 85 adult HCM patients who were admitted to the Xi Jing HCM center from January 2016 to November 2017 were collected. According to the peak left ventricular outflow tract pressure gradient in exercise stress echocardiography, the patients were divided into three groups: patients with non-obstructive HCM (n=28), those with labile-obstructive HCM (n=27), and those with obstructive HCM (n=30). In addition, 16 normal family members of HCM patients were included as control group. Two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging, tissue Doppler imaging and exercise stress echocardiography were used to evaluate the left ventricular function in resting and exercise states.@*Results@#①As compared with the control group, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter decreased and left ventricular ejection fraction increased in all three HCM groups(all P<0.05). Left ventricular maximum wall thickness and left ventricular mass index were the highest in obstructive HCM, followed by labile-obstructive and non-obstructive HCM, and the lowest in the control group (all P<0.05). ②At rest, the left ventricular global longitudinal, circumferential and radial strain (GLS, GCS and GRS), as well as the twist of obstructive HCM were significantly lower than the other three groups (all P<0.05). As compared with the control group, the GLS and twist decreased in the labile-obstructive and non-obstructive HCM(all P<0.05), but there were no significant changes of GCS and GRS (all P>0.05). The obstructive HCM had the lowest mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE) and s′, and the longest systolic peaking time standard deviation(Ts-SD) and early diastolic peaking time standard deviation(Te-SD) (all P<0.05). The left ventricular diastolic function of obstructive HCM (e′, the E/e′ ratio and the left atrial volume index) was the worst, labile-obstruction and non-obstructive HCM were better, and the control group was the best (all P<0.001). ③During exercise, the GLS, GCS, GRS, twist of the left ventricle and the MAPSE were the lowest in the obstructive HCM, which increased in the labile-obstructive and non-obstructive HCM, and were best in the control group. The Ts-SD and Te-SD were the shortest in the control group, were prolonged in non-obstructive and labile-obstruction HCM, and were longest in obstructive HCM (all P<0.05). Additionally, the exercise time of the control group was the longest, followed by non-obstructive and labile-obstruction HCM, and the shortest in the obstructive HCM (all P<0.05). The METs of obstructive HCM were significantly lower than the other three groups (all P<0.05).@*Conclusions@#In obstructive HCM, the left ventricular systolic strain and synchronization, as well as the MAPSE, are significantly impaired in patients both at rest and during exercise. The patients with labile-obstructive and non-obstructive HCM have reduced left ventricular GLS, twist, and e′, but normal left ventricular GCS, GRS, synchrony, and MAPSE at rest, which are all impaired during exercise.