Purpose: We tested the sex-specific associations between primary aldosteronism (PA), left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and LV systolic myocardial function.
Material and methods: Conventional and speckle tracking echocardiography was performed in 109 patients with PA and 89 controls with essential hypertension (EH). LV hypertrophy was identified if LV mass index exceeded 47.0 g/m2.7 in women and 50.0 g/m2.7 in men. LV systolic myocardial function was assessed by global longitudinal strain (GLS) and midwall shortening.
Results: PA patients had higher prevalence of LV hypertrophy (52 vs. 21%, p < 0.001) than EH patients in both sexes, while GLS did not differ by sex or hypertension aetiology. In multivariable analyses, presence of LV hypertrophy was associated with PA and obesity in both sexes, while lower systolic myocardial function, whether measured by GLS or midwall shortening, was not associated with PA, but primarily with higher body mass index and LV mass index, respectively, in both sexes (all p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Having PA was associated with higher prevalence of LV hypertrophy both in women and men, compared to EH. PA was not associated with LV systolic myocardial function in either sex.
Keywords: Primary aldosteronism; global longitudinal strain; hypertension; left ventricular hypertrophy; midwall shortening; sex.