Abstract

PISKORZ, Daniel et al. Spontaneous decrease of heart rate and left ventricular hypertrophy regression. Insuf. card. [online]. 2009, vol.4, n.1, pp.44-49. ISSN 1852-3862.

Background. The analysis of heart rate has been shown to have prognostic impact in healthy subjects, and in hypertensive, heart failure or ischemic heart disease patients. The aim of this study is to determine if a relationship exists, and what kind, between the spontaneous changes in heart rate during treatment in patients with hypertension and left ventricular mass index. Material and methods. We included 40 hypertensive patients treated during 1 year without drugs that interfere on heart rate. Statistical analysis. Correlation test was applied, and statistical significance was considered p < 0.05. Results. Twenty-two patients (54%) were males, the average age of the patients was 53.8 ± 13.1 years, the average baseline body mass index was 28.9 ± 34.8 kg/m² and at follow-up 27.7 ± 3.9 kg/m². The average baseline blood pressure was 154.2 ± 19.9 / 89.5 ± 10.8 mm Hg and the final 137.3 ± 21.6 / 81 ± 10.6 mm Hg. Baseline heart rate averaged was 75.3 ± 11.2 beats/min and at follow up was 76.8 ± 10.4 beats/min. There was a statistically significant correlation between systolic and diastolic blood pressures achieved at the end of follow up, and left ventricular mass index: r = 0.36 p <0.01 and r = 0.29 p < 0.02, respectively; on the other hand, a statistically significant correlation was shown between the decrease in heart rate and regression of left ventricular mass index at the end of follow up: r = 0.27 p < 0.05. Conclusions. Our study agrees with previous findings in the literature showing a positive, continuous and statistically significant correlation between blood pressure values obtained with antihypertensive treatment and regression of left ventricular hypertrophy, and establishes as fact the existence of a novel relationship, positive and statistically significant, between changes in heart rate and left ventricular mass index, so that in hypertensive patients, a spontaneous decrease of heart rate was associated with regression of left ventricular hypertrophy, and otherwise, a spontaneous rise in heart rate to progression of target organ damage.

Keywords : Heart rate; Heart failure; Arterial hypertension; Left ventricular hypertrophy; Left ventricular mass index.

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