An analysis of cardiac remodeling in the elderly population. EPICARDIAN study.

The aims of this study were to investigate left ventricular morphology in a sample of elderly Spanish individuals and to assess differences between hypertensives and normotensives. Data were obtained from a subsample (N=242) of participants in the EPICARDIAN study who live to the Lista district of Madrid: they included 191 (78.8%) hypertensives and 51 (21.2%) normotensives. Left ventricular remodeling patterns were classified as: type I (normal), type II (concentric remodeling), type III (concentric hypertrophy) or type IV (eccentric hypertrophy). The overall prevalences were: 74 (30.5%) type I, 62 (25.9%) type II, 53 (21.8%) type III and 53 (21.8%) type IV. A comparison of hypertensives and normotensives showed that the prevalences were: 42 (22.3%) type I, 50 (26.1%) type II, 50 (26.1%) type III and 49 (25.5%) type IV in hypertensives and 31 (60%) type I, 13 (26%) type II, 3 (6%) type III and 4 (8%) type IV in normotensives (P< .0005). Ventricular remodeling without hypertrophy was common in the elderly, an observation that could have prognostic implications.