Preliminary Study Of Left Atrial Volume And Left Ventricular Volume Changes In Essential Hypertensive Elderly Patients

Objective: To study changes of left atrial volume (LAV) and left ventricular volume (LVV) in elderly essential hypertension (EH) patients on different course, different blood pressure levels, different types of blood pressure rhythm and different geometries. Methods: The LAV and LVV of 129 EH elderly patients and 125 control subjects were measured with echocardiography and their differences were analyzed. The EH group underwent ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in order to distinguish types of blood pressure rhythm and analyzed changes of LAV and LVV in the different course, different blood pressure levels, different types of blood pressure rhythm and different geometries. Results: 1) The LAV, LAVI, end-systolic left ventricular volume (ESV), end-diastolic left ventricular volume (EDV) of EH group compared with the control groyp were increased, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). 2) The LAV, LAVI, ESV, EDV of abnormal geometries group compared with the normal geometries groyp were increased, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). 3) Level 2 hypertensive patients compared with the level 1 hypertensive patients on EDV, LAV, LAVI were increased, the difference was statistically significance (P<0.05); but the ESV was not statistically significant (P>0.05). 4) With the duration of growth, the LAV, LAVI, ESV, EDV showed increasing trend, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). 5) In elderly patients with essential hypertension, the EDV and ESV of non-dipper group were increased than dipper group, the difference statistically significant (P<0.05). However, the LAV and LAVI between the two groups, the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusions: In elderly hypertensive patients, the course and non-dipper blood pressure rhythm have important influence on left ventricular geometry; the variety of LAV and LVV was changed with different left ventricular geometry. Duration of hypertension affects both LAV and LVV. Blood pressure levels and abnormal blood pressure rhythm can affect some of the parameters of LAV and LVV.