Background: Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy is a powerful independent predictor of morbidity and mortality in hypertensive patients. Abnormal LV geometric patterns are also associated with hypertensive complications, and concentric hypertrophy is associated with the highest mortality in hypertensive patients. However, the relationship between geometric patterns and cardiac dysfunction is not fully established. We hypothesized that the Tei index, which is a measure of global cardiac function, is a feasible parameter for estimating cardiac dysfunction among the different LV geometric patterns in hypertensive patients.
Methods and results: We enrolled 60 consecutive patients with untreated essential hypertension. Subjects were divided into 4 groups: normal geometry, concentric remodeling, eccentric hypertrophy and concentric hypertrophy. We measured ejection fraction, mitral E/A ratio, Tei index, ejection time, and isovolumic contraction and relaxation times. There were significant correlations between LV mass index and systolic blood pressure (P<0.01), ejection fraction (P<0.05), mitral E/A ratio (P<0.05) and Tei index (P<0.0001). In multiple regression analysis, only the Tei index independently correlated with LV mass index (P<0.01). Concentric hypertrophy significantly increased the Tei index compared with the other 3 groups.
Conclusions: The Tei index provides a better marker for LV dysfunction by hypertensive hypertrophy than conventional parameters. LV function in concentric hypertrophy was most impaired among all the geometric patterns in untreated hypertensive patients.