Abstract
To evaluate the physiological characteristics of elderly hypertension, analysis of ECG patterns and measurements of left ventricular function by dyedilution method using ear piece photo cell were performed in 126 hypertensive subjects (mean age of 75) and 36 normotensive subjects (mean age of 77). ECG findings in hypertension were classified into 8 groups depending on the voltage of QRS complex and the changes of ST-T wave on left side chest leads.
In male, cardiac index (CI) and stroke index (SI) showed relative increase, but total peripheral resistance index (TPRI) and cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) showed relative decrease when compared with female. The incidence of abnormal ECG in male was lower than that of in female. There was significant correlation between cardiac functions (CI, SI and TPRI) and age in male subjects both of hypertensive and normotensive ones. No correlation was found in female subjects. Heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) had no correlation with age in both groups. Hypertensive subjects had smaller CI and SI and larger TPRI than normotensive subjects. However, no difference was observed between systolic hypertension and systolic & diastolic hypertension in terms of cardiac functions and of the incidence of ECG abnormalities. There was no correlation between level of BP and cardiac functions. Hypertensive subjects with severe ECG abnormality showed more disturbed cardiac function (smaller CI and SI, larger TPRI) than with moderate ECG abnormality. More significant disturbance of cardiac function was shown in hypertensive subjects with strain pattern than with ischemic ST-T change or “advanced strain pattern”. The proportional disturbance of cardiac function to the magnitude of STj depression was observed in hypertensive subjects with strain pattern.
