Does a nondipping pattern influence left ventricular and left atrial mechanics in hypertensive patients?

Early Left Ventricular Dysfunction and Non-Dipping: When Ejection Fraction is Not Enough. A Meta-Analysis of Speckle tracking Echocardiography Studies

BACKGROUND

There is evidence that a reduced nocturnal fall in blood pressure (BP) entails an increased risk of hypertensive-mediated organ damage (HMOD) and cardiovascular events. Most studies focusing on left ventricular (LV) systolic function, assessed by conventional LV ejection fraction (LVEF) in non-dippers compared to dippers failed to detect significant differences. To provide a new piece of information on LV systolic dysfunction in the non-dipping setting, we performed a meta-analysis of speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) studies investigating LV global longitudinal strain (GLS), a more sensitive index of LV systolic function.

METHODS

A computerized search was performed using PubMed, OVID, EMBASE, and Cochrane library databases from inception until 31 July, 2022. Full articles reporting data on LV GLS and LVEF in non-dippers and dippers were considered suitable.

RESULTS

A total of 648 non-dipper and 530 dipper individuals were included in 9 studies. LV GLS was worse in non-dipper than in their dipper counterparts (-18.4 ± 0.30 vs. -20.1 ± 0.23%, standard means difference [SMD]: 0.73 ± 0.14, confidence interval [CI]: 0.46/1.00, P < 0.0001) whereas this was not the case for LVEF (61.4 ± 0.8 and 62.0 ± 0.8%, respectively), SMD: --0.15 ± 0.09, CI: -0.32/0.03, P = 1.01). A meta-regression analysis between nighttime systolic BP and myocardial GLS showed a significant, relationship between these variables (coefficient 0.085, P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that early changes in LV systolic function not detectable by conventional echocardiography in the non-dipping setting can be unmasked by STE; implementation of STE in current practice may improve the detection of HMOD of adverse prognostic significance in individuals with altered circadian BP rhythm.

Effect of dipping and nondipping pattern of blood pressure on subclinical left ventricular dysfunction assessed by two-dimensional speckle tracking in hypertensive patients

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the left ventricular (LV) function by conventional two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D STE) to detect subclinical LV systolic dysfunction in patients with dipper and nondipper hypertension.

METHODS

One hundred consecutive patients with hypertension were included in our study. Clinical evaluation, baseline laboratory investigations, 24 ambulatory blood pressure monitoring 2D echocardiographic examination and 2D STE were performed for all patients. Patients were classified as dippers and nondippers according to their nighttime MAP (mean arterial blood pressure) reduction rate of ≥10 or <10%, respectively.

RESULTS

Of 100 patients, 71% were nondippers while 29% were dippers. Nondippers had a significantly lower global longitudinal strain (LS) value (-22.45 ± 3.26 vs. -18.2 ± 3.3, P < 0.001), global circumferential strain (CS) value (-24.23 ± 3.56 vs. -19.16 ± 8.25, P < 0.001) and global radial strain (RS) value (35.04 ± 11.16 vs. 29.58 ± 8.44, P = 0.009). It was found that nondipper status was associated with worsening of LS by 2.737, (P = 0.001), CS by 3.446, (P = 0.002), RS by -3.256, (P = 0.158) and DM also was found associated with worsening of LS by 1.849, (P = 0.062), CS by 3.284 (P = 0.018), RS by -2.499 (P = 0.381).

CONCLUSION

The nondipping hypertension pattern is associated with subclinical LV systolic dysfunction as shown by the impaired global myocardial strain in all three directions.

Morning blood pressure surge in the early stage of hypertensive patients impacts three-dimensional left ventricular speckle tracking echocardiography

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to examine left ventricular (LV) function in untreated, newly diagnosed hypertensive patients with morning blood pressure surge (MBPS) status using three-dimensional (3D) speckle tracking echocardiography (STE).

METHODS

In this study, 163 newly diagnosed hypertensive patients were included, and all patients underwent 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). According to ABPM, participants were divided into a MBPS group and a non-MBPS group. The entire study population was examined by complete two-dimensional (2D) transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and 3D STE.

RESULT

The results of this study showed that 3D LV longitudinal strain was significantly decreased in the MBPS group compared with the non-MBPS group (- 30.1 ± 2.0 vs. -31.1 ± 2.7, p = 0.045). Similar trends were observed for 3D twist (9.6 ± 6.1 vs. 12.1 ± 4.8, p = 0.011) as well as for 3D torsion (1.23 ± 0.78 vs. 1.49 ± 0.62, p = 0.042). The LV principal strain was decreased in the MBPS group (- 33.9 ± 1.7 vs. -35.5 ± 2.8, p < 0.001). The 3D LV global longitudinal strain (GLS) and principal strain were significantly associated with quartile of MBPS as measured by systolic blood pressure (SBP).

CONCLUSION

The 3D STE revealed that LV mechanics were more impaired in the MBPS group than in the non-surge newly diagnosed, untreated hypertensive patients; even the 2D TTE parameters showed no difference.

Impact of Arterial Hypertension on Left Atrial Size and Function

An increase in left atrial (LA) size in patients with arterial hypertension (AHT) has long been known to be associated with worse cardiovascular morbidity and mortality contributes to various complications, including atrial arrhythmias, stroke, and heart failure. The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of arterial hypertension (AHT) on the LA size and function. This cross-sectional investigation included one hundred patients with essential hypertension without valvular or structural heart disease and atrial fibrillation. All recruits had a transthoracic echocardiography. LA volumes were measured by area-length method in transthoracic echocardiography at different cardiac cycle times. The indices of LA function were calculated: the reservoir function (total emptying fraction, total emptying volume, and expansion index), the conduit function (passive emptying fraction and passive emptying volume), and the pump function (active emptying fraction and active emptying volume). For all statistical tests, a p value ≤0.05 (represents the degree of significance) is considered statistically significant. In univariate analysis, LA was dilated in 9% of patients. The LA reservoir function and the pump function were increased, respectively, in 85% and 82% of patients. LA conduit function was impaired in 80% of patients. In bivariate analysis, the most powerful factors for this repercussion were diabetes (LA volume MAX dilated in nondiabetic patients (p = 0.037)), obesity (the reservoir function was impaired in obese patients (p = 0.015)), and antihypertensive drugs (the reservoir function was impaired in patients who take beta blockers (p = 0.023); the LA pump function was significantly impaired in patients treated with calcium antagonists (p = 0.012)). This study proved the impact of AHT on the LA size and function. Further investigations are necessary to evaluate the potential predictive value of LA remodeling in hypertensive patients like speckle tracking imaging.

The Effect of Antihypertensive Therapy on Left Ventricular Longitudinal Strain: Missing Part of the Puzzle

There is no consensus regarding the benefit of antihypertensive therapy on left ventricular structure and function. The most of studies investigated the effect of therapy on left ventricular hypertrophy, less studies were focused on left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and the minority on left ventricular mechanics. The majority of investigations showed positive effect of antihypertensive therapy on regression of left ventricular remodeling. Nevertheless, it is very difficult to distinguish the effect of antihypertensive medication from the effect of blood pressure reduction on left ventricular improvement. The other important issue in these studies is difficulty to distinguish the effect of left ventricular hypertrophy regression from the effect of antihypertensive medications on left ventricular diastolic function and mechanics. The novel findings suggest that the cascade of left ventricular remodeling in hypertensive heart disease begins with mechanical changes, continuous with diastolic dysfunction, and ends with left ventricular hypertrophy. This is very important paradigm because it enables early and timely diagnosis of subclinical left ventricular damage in hypertensive patients and should provide rapid detection of left ventricular function improvement during antihypertensive therapy.

The Prognostic Effect of Circadian Blood Pressure Pattern on Long-Term Cardiovascular Outcome is Independent of Left Ventricular Remodeling

We aimed to investigate the predictive value of 24 h blood pressure (BP) patterns on adverse cardiovascular (CV) outcome in the initially untreated hypertensive patients during long-term follow-up. This study included 533 initially untreated hypertensive patients who were involved in this study in the period between 2007 and 2012. All participants underwent laboratory analysis, 24 h BP monitoring, and echocardiographic examination at baseline. The patients were followed for a median period of nine years. The adverse outcome was defined as the hospitalization due to CV events (atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, myocardial revascularization, heart failure, stroke, or CV death). During the nine-year follow-up period, adverse CV events occurred in 85 hypertensive patients. Nighttime SBP, non-dipping BP pattern, LV hypertrophy (LVH), left atrial enlargement (LAE), and LV diastolic dysfunction (LV DD) were risk factors for occurrence of CV events. However, nighttime SBP, non-dipping BP pattern, LVH, and LV DD were the only independent predictors of CV events. When all four BP pattern were included in the model, non-dipping and reverse dipping BP patterns were associated with CV events, but only reverse-dipping BP pattern was independent predictor of CV events. The current study showed that reverse-dipping BP pattern was predictor of adverse CV events independently of nighttime SBP and LV remodeling during long-term follow-up. The assessment of BP patterns has very important role in the long-time prediction in hypertensive population.

Layer-specific deformation of the left ventricle in uncomplicated patients with type 2 diabetes and arterial hypertension

BACKGROUND

Detailed analysis of layer-specific mechanical changes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) might improve insight into left ventricular (LV) remodelling and diabetic cardiomyopathy.

AIM

We sought to investigate layer-specific LV deformation in patients with DM, with and without hypertension.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 146 subjects (44 controls; 48 patients with DM; 54 patients with DM and hypertension) who underwent complete examination by two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE), including multilayer strain analysis.

RESULTS

2DE LV longitudinal and circumferential strains deteriorated progressively and significantly from controls, through patients with DM, to patients with DM and hypertension. 2DE radial strain was lower in patients with DM and hypertension than in controls. 2DE longitudinal and circumferential mid-myocardial and epicardial layer strains decreased progressively from controls to patients with DM and hypertension, whereas endocardial layer strain was lower in patients with DM and patients with DM and hypertension than in controls. Variables of DM control (fasting glucose and glycated haemoglobin) were associated with 2DE LV longitudinal and circumferential layer-specific strains, independent of age, body mass index, blood pressure, LV diastolic function and hypertrophy in patients with DM.

CONCLUSION

DM and hypertension significantly affect LV deformation assessed by 2DE traditional strain and 2DE multilayer strain. Hypertension showed an additional negative effect on LV deformation in patients with DM. Fasting glucose and glycated haemoglobin were associated with LV mechanics evaluated by comprehensive 2DE strain analysis, independent of LV structure and diastolic function.

The relationship between nighttime hypertension and left atrial function

The authors sought to investigate the association between different hypertensive phenotypes and left atrial (LA) function assessed by the volumetric method and the strain method in patients with untreated hypertension. This cross-sectional study involved 236 untreated patients who underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and two-dimensional echocardiographic examination. Our findings showed that LA function gradually deteriorated from patients with normotension, across patients with daytime hypertension, to patients with night- and day-nighttime hypertension. LA reservoir and conduit functions were particularly deteriorated in patients with nighttime and day-nighttime hypertension compared with patients with normotension and patients with daytime hypertension, whereas LA pump function was compensatorily increased only in the participants with day-nighttime hypertension. Only nighttime hypertension and day-nighttime hypertension were independently associated with the reduced reservoir and conduit LA function. The difference between patients with daytime and nighttime hypertension was found in reservoir and conduit LA but not LA pump function.

The association of night-time systolic blood pressure with ultrasound markers of subclinical cardiac and vascular disease

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Introduction

The aim of this study was to examine the association of night-time systolic blood pressure (BP) with subclinical cardiac dysfunction measured by global longitudinal strain (GLS) and subclinical vascular damage measured by carotid intima–media thickness (CIMT) and carotid plaques.

Methods

GLS was measured by speckle-tracking analysis of echocardiogram images. CIMT was measured at the distal 1 cm of the common carotid artery. The presence of carotid plaques was recorded. Philips QLAB cardiac and vascular ultrasound quantification software was used for analysis. The association of night-time systolic BP with GLS, CIMT and carotid plaques was assessed using linear and logistic regression.

Results

Fifty (response rate 63%) individuals took part in this study. In univariable models, night-time systolic BP was significantly associated with GLS [β coefficient 0.85 for every 10 mmHg increase, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.3–1.4] and carotid plaques (odds ratio 1.9 for every 10 mmHg increase, 95% CI: 1.1–3.2). Univariable analysis of daytime systolic BP did not show any statistically significant associations. In age-adjusted and sex-adjusted models, the association for night-time systolic BP and GLS remained significant (β coefficient 0.68 for every 10 mmHg increase, 95% CI: 0.1–1.3). The association for carotid plaques was no longer statistically significant. In multivariable models, findings were diminished.

Discussion

Our results suggest a trend towards an association between night-time systolic BP and subclinical cardiac and vascular disease. When assessing ambulatory blood pressure monitoring results, the absolute night-time systolic BP seems to be a better prognostic parameter than daytime systolic BP, but ultimately a large randomised controlled trial involving chronotherapy is necessary to fully address this.

Two- and three-dimensional speckle tracking analysis of the relation between myocardial deformation and functional capacity in patients with systemic hypertension

The purpose of this study was to investigate left ventricular (LV) mechanics in hypertensive patients by 2- and 3-dimensional (3D) speckle tracking imaging, and determine the relation between the LV mechanics and functional capacity in this population. This cross-sectional study included 51 recently diagnosed, untreated, hypertensive patients, 49 treated subjects with well-controlled arterial hypertension, 52 treated participants with uncontrolled hypertension, and 50 controls adjusted by gender and age. All the subjects underwent 24-hour blood pressure monitoring, complete 2-dimensional and 3D examination, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing. 3D global longitudinal, circumferential, radial, and area strains were similar between the control group and well-controlled hypertensive patients but significantly decreased in comparison with patients with untreated or inadequately controlled hypertension. Similar findings were obtained for LV torsion and twist rate, whereas LV untwisting rate significantly deteriorated from the controls, across the well-controlled group, to the patients with untreated or uncontrolled hypertension. Peak oxygen uptake was significantly lower in the patients with untreated and uncontrolled hypertension than in the controls and the well-treated hypertensive patients. Peak oxygen uptake was independently associated with LV untwisting rate (β = 0.28, p = 0.03), 3D LV ejection fraction (β = 0.31, p = 0.024), and 3D global longitudinal strain (β = 0.26, p = 0.037) in the whole hypertensive population in our study. In conclusion, LV mechanics and functional capacity are significantly impaired in the patients with uncontrolled and untreated hypertension in comparison with the controls and the well-controlled hypertensive patients. Functional capacity is independently associated with 3D global longitudinal strain, LV untwisting rate, and 3D LV ejection fraction.