Relation Between Some Ambulatory Blood Pressure Parameters and Left Ventricular Mass Index in Normotensive Subjects and Untreated Hypertensive Patients

It is known that the relation between blood pressure (BP) measured in the office and left ventricular mass index is weak. However, it is suggested that ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) can be more valuable than BP measured in the office. In this study, we aimed to compare some ABPM parameters to left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in normotensive subjects and untreated hypertensive patients. The study was carried on 48 normotensive subjects (35 females, 13 males; mean age: 44.3± 11.4 years) and 33 hypertensive patients (23 females, 10 males; mean age: 54.6±13.1 years). ABPM was applied for 48 hours to each subject. Actigraph (an accelerometer) was applied to a subgroup of subjects to determine actual sleep-wake cycle. M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography were performed in all subjects. We calculated 24 hour, day and night mean and load (proportion of elevated BP over a certain limit for a period) values for systolic and diastolic BPs, and LYMI. Correlation analysis was done to compare ABPM parameters to LVMI. The correlation with LVMI for all systolic BP parameters was higher than for diastolic BP parameters. Night mean and load of systolic BP showed a better correlation with LVMI than the other parameters (night mean systolic BP: r=0.59 and p<0.001; night Load systolic BP: r=0.60 and p<0.001 ). In normotensive subjects, no statistically significant correlation between ABPM parametrs and LVMI were found. In assessment of the optimal effects of antihypertensive treatment, systolic BP parameters, night mean and night load values as detected with ABPM seems to be useful and valuable.