Korean J Med.  1999 Apr;56(4):459-467.

Influence of left ventricular hypertrophy on ventricular arrhythmias in hypertensive patients

• Bae WH
• Lee HG
• Park YI
• Park YH
• Oah HM
• Lim JH
• An BJ
• Kim SH
• Chun KJ
• Hong TJ
• Shin YW

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH) increases the risk of sudden death in hypertensive patients and this is known due to ventricular arrhythmias. Thus, author studied the relationship between LVH as a hypertensive target organ damage and ventricular arrhythmias.
METHODS
24-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring, measurement of microalbumin in 24-hour urine and fundoscopic examination were performed on 100 hypertensives (50 patients without LVH and 50 patients with LVH on EKG) who admitted Pusan National University Hospital.
RESULTS
In patients with LVH, ventricular extrasystoles occurred more frequently than without LVH(p<0.05) and ventricular couplet and ventricular tachycardia were more common but statistically not different. Microalbuminuria and hypertensive retinopathy were more severe in patients with LVH than without LVH(p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively).
CONCLUSION
Of the ventricular arrhythmias, ventricular extrasystole but not ventricular couplet and ventricular tachycardia occurred more frequently in patients with LVH than without LVH. Thus, prospective study with long-term follow up should be done to establish the relationship between hypertensive LVH and cardiovascular mortality, especially sudden death. And, further study should be done to make the relationship between reduction in LVH with antihypertensive therapy and reduction in LVH-associated ventricular arrhythmias.

Keyword

Left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH); Ventricular arrhythmia; Microalbuminuria; Hypertensive retinopathy

MeSH Terms

Arrhythmias, Cardiac*
Busan
Death, Sudden
Electrocardiography, Ambulatory
Humans
Hypertensive Retinopathy
Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular*
Mortality
Tachycardia, Ventricular
Ventricular Premature Complexes