The Relation Between Left Ventricular Diastolic Function and Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Levels in Patients with Moderate Hypertension

We studied at the cardiology out-patient clinic of Erciyes University Medical Faculty, the relation between left ventricular diastolic function and plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) levels in patients with moderate essential hypertension. Sixteen patients who had an initial diagnosis of moderate essential hypertension were included in the study; twelve healthy subjects served as a control group. Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction existed in seven patients by continuous Doppler echocardiography. The ANP levels were significantly higher in all hypertensives and in hypertensive patients with diastolic dysfunction than in the control group (241.3±216.3 pg/ml, 410.6±209.5 pg/ml and 79.3±15.8 pg/ml, p<0.01, p<0.001, respectively). ANP levels were significantly (p<0.01) higher in patients with diastolic dysfunction than in those with normal diastolic function (410.6±209.5 pg/ml and 103.6±37.1 pg/ml). There was no significant difference between hypertensive patients with normal diastolic function and the control group although the ANP levels were higher in hypertensive patients with normal diastolic function (p>0.05). There were statistically significant differences of left atrial, left ventricular systolic and diastolic diameters, interventricular septal thickness between patients and the control group (p<0.01, p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.05, respectively). As a conclusion, diastolic dysfunction in hypertensive patients results in high ANP levels.