Effect of Atrial Contraction on Left Ventricular Diastolic Filling in Hypertensive and Elderly Subjects Studied by Echocardiography and Apexcardiography

Abstract

In order to evaluate the effects of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and aging on LV diastolic filling and the atrial contraction,34 normal subjects aged less than 40 years (N group),6 elderly normal subjects aged 50 years or more (OA group),26 patients with essenti al hypertension aged from 23 to 78years were studied in the left lateral position with apexcardiography and echocardiography. LV hypertrophy was assessed by LV wall thickness (LVWT), which was defined as a sum of the interventricular wall thickness (WS) and the LV posterior wall thickness (PW). The patients with hypertension were classified into two groups according to LVWT: H1 group,8 cases with LVWT less than 2.5 cm and H2 group,18 cases with LVWT 2.5 cm or more. Cases with an WS / PW ratio of 1.3 or more were excluded from the study. Blood pressure level (mmHg) (systolic / diastolic) were 121/69 + 13/10,133/78 +114/11,141/87 +114/10 and 175/103 +126/17, in N, OA, H1 and H2, respectively. LVWT (mean + / SD, cm) was 1.8 + 0.2 in N,2.2 + / O.5 in OA,2.2+ 0.1 in H1 and 3.1 + 0.5 in H2 group. LVWT in OA group was significan tly thicker than in N group, but thinner than in H2 group.