Longitudinal mitral annulus velocities are reduced in hypertensive subjects with or without left ventricle hypertrophy.

Normotensive and hypertensive subjects with and without left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LV mass index [LVMI] >51 g/m(2.7)) were examined by conventional echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging of mitral annulus motion. The subgroups included nonobese normotensive subjects (n=16; age 51+/-9 years; 11 female; systolic blood pressure [SBP] 109+/-11 mm Hg, body mass index [BMI] 24+/-2.7 kg/m2; LVMI 32+/-5.5 g/m(2.7)), nonobese hypertensive subjects without LV hypertrophy (n=16; age 54+/-12 years; 12 female; SBP 166+/-15 mm Hg; BMI 25+/-2.7 kg/m2; LVMI 42+/-5.5 g/m(2.7)), and hypertensive subjects with LV hypertrophy (n=22; age 56+/-10 years; 10 female; SBP 181+/-19 mm Hg; BMI 26+/-2.3 kg/m2; LVMI 69+/-16 g/m(2.7)). Ejection fraction was comparable among the subgroups, but midwall fractional shortening was reduced in hypertensive subjects with LV hypertrophy (approximately 26%). Isovolumic relaxation time was increased in subjects with LV hypertrophy, whereas mitral wave A velocity was increased in hypertensive subjects with and without LV hypertrophy. Tissue Doppler imaging mitral annulus systolic (SM) and diastolic (EM) velocities were reduced in subjects with and without LV hypertrophy compared with normotensive subjects. There was a positive correlation between SM and EM (r=0.68; P<0.0001) and negative correlations between these 2 variables and LVMI (SM, r=-0.41; P=0.002; EM, r=-0.56; P<0.0001). Thus, reductions in mitral annulus systolic and diastolic velocities parallel increases in LV mass in hypertensive subjects, beginning at LV mass within the clinically defined normal values.