Background: This study is aimed at investigating myocardial multi-directional systolic deformation in hypertensive with different left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and exploring its contribution to LVEF.
Methods: One hundred and twenty-three patients with primary hypertension (HT) were divided into group A (LVEF ≥ 55%), group B (45% ≤ LVEF < 50%, or 50% ≤ LVEF < 55% + LVEDVI ≥ 97 ml/m2), and group C (LVEF < 45%). Two-dimensional strain echocardiography (2DSE) including LV longitudinal strain (SL), radial strain (SR) and circumferential strain (SC) were measured.
Results: SL decreased gradually from group A, B to C (all p < 0.05) while SR and SC were reduced only in group B and C (all p < 0.05). All strain measurements correlated to LVEF, with the strongest correlation in SC (r = -0.82, p < 0.01) and the second in SL (r = -0.76). The diastolic E/e increased from group A, B to C.
Conclusions: Left ventricular multi-directional deformation correlated well to LVEF in hypertension and particularly SC, indicating that it was SC, not SL or SR, that makes the prominent contribution to left ventricular pump function.
Keywords: Echocardiography; Heart failure; Hypertension; Left ventricular ejection fraction; Myocardial contraction; Strain.