Right and Left Ventricular Diastolic Filling Parameters in Essential Hypertension

Abstract

Right and left ventricular filling parameters were compared in 118 hypertensive patients (mean age, 54.4 ± 10.3 years) and 50 normotensive controls (mean age, 51.6 ± 8 years). Diastolic filling parameters were obtained by pulsed Doppler echocardiography at the tricuspid and mitral annular levels. The tricuspid early to late filling velocity ratios and the normalized peak filling rates were significantly reduced, while the atrial filling fraction was increased and tricuspid deceleration time was prolonged in hypertensive patients compared to controls. Right ventricular diastolic filling parameters correlated significantly with septal and posterior diastolic wall thickness, while left ventricular mass index correlated significantly with right ventricular diastolic filling parameters and right ventricular diastolic wall thickness in hypertensive subjects. Right ventricular diastolic wall thickness correlated significantly with the tricuspid early to late filling velocity ratio, tricuspid inflow total velocity-time integral, normalized peak filling rate, and peak filling fraction. Right ventricular diastolic filling parameters were closely related to left ventricular diastolic filling parameters in both groups. It was concluded that right ventricular filling parameters undergo a series of changes in essential hypertension and these parameters are closely related to left ventricular filling parameters and correlate with right ventricular wall thickness and left ventricular mass index.