ABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in course of the systemic hypertension (HT) is found as independent risk factor for ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. OBJECTS: The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between occurrence of LVH and electrical instability. Study group included 64 patients (pts) with mild to moderate HT, without clinical signs of coronary artery disease. Pts were divided into two group: with and without LVH (LVH was diagnosed by echocardiography (ECHO) when left ventricular mass index (LVMI) was > 106 g/m2 for women, and > 111 g/m2 for men). By 12-lead ECG QTc, dispersion QT (QTd) were calculated. From SAECG the QRS duration (tQRS), the root mean square of the last 40 ms of the filtered QRS complex (RMS40) and the duration of the terminal low amplitude QRS signal < 40 microV (LAS 40) were calculated. Ventricular arrhythmias were recorded during 24 hour Holter monitoring and classified into the Lown classification. RESULTS: No difference in QTd between two groups was observed. Nobody has nonsustained ventricular tachycardia in 24-hour Holter monitoring. In group with LVH tQRS was longer and RMS higher in SAECG than in group without LVH. CONCLUSION: LVH in hypertensive pts influences the increase of electrical instability that is evaluated by SAECG.
