Background: In hypertensive patients, high left ventricular (LV) mass/end-diastolic volume ratio (LVM/EDV) is related to LV dysfunction and myocardial fibrosis.
Purpose: We examined the ability of 3D-echo-derived LVM/EDV ratio in identifying early systolic and diastolic dysfunction in relation with LV concentric geometry in native hypertensive patients.
Methods: One-hundred and forty-four newly diagnosed, never treated hypertensive patients underwent 2D-echo, including computation of 2D-derived global longitudinal strain (GLS), and 3D-echo. The study population was divided into two groups: elevated 3D-LVM/EDV (≥1.23 in women and ≥1.22 in men), corresponding to LV concentric geometry (n = 50), and normal ratio (<1.23 in women and <1.22 in men) corresponding to LV normal or eccentric geometry (n = 94).
Results: The two groups were comparable for sex, heart rate, BMI, and blood pressure (BP). Patients with elevated 3D-LVM/EDV ratio were older and had lower GLS (P < 0.001) than patients with normal LVM/EDV ratio. Transmitral E/A ratio (P < 0.0001) and e' velocity (P < 0.0001) were lower, and E/e' ratio (P < 0.0001) higher in patients with elevated LVM/EDV ratio. In the pooled population, LVM/EDV ratio was positively correlated to E/e' (r = 0.39, P < 0.0001) and negatively to GLS (r = -0.29, P < 0.001). By separate multilinear regression analyses, after adjusting for sex, age, heart rate, mean BP and BMI, LVM/EDV ratio - but not 2D-relative wall thickness - was independently associated with E/e' (β = 0.304, P = 0.003) and GLS (β = -0.501, P < 0.0001).
Conclusion: Three-dimensional echocardiographic assessment of LV concentric geometry allows identifying an early diastolic and longitudinal systolic dysfunction in native hypertensive patients. In particular, 3D-LVM/EDV ratio is independently associated with both E/e' ratio and GLS.