Assessment of Ventricular-Arterial Coupling in Early Stage Middle-Aged Hypertensives

BACKGROUND. Ventricular-arterial coupling (VAC) is altered by aging and cardiovascular comorbidities, indicating myocardial dysfunction and/or arterial stiffness. Our aim was to demonstrate whether lifestyle changes and anti-hypertensive drug treatment would improve VAC in recently diagnosed, early stage middle-aged hypertensives (HTN) without organ damage. METHODS. Arterial elastance (Ea), carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), global longitudinal strain (GLS), and myocardial work (MW) [global work index (GWI), global constructive work (GCW), global wasted work (GWW), and global work efficiency (GWE)] were investigated. This retrospective observational study involved 126 individuals (mean age 40 years; 55% female), divided into HTN and normotensives, NT. Clinical, echocardiographic and echo vascular parameters were assessed. Lifestyle changes were recommended for HTN. If blood pressure (BP) values still remained high, anti-hypertensive drug treatment was administered. RESULTS. Higher values of systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), GWI, GCW, and GWW were observed in HTN. By following lifestyle changes, BP [diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and MAP], HR, VAC, Ea, cfPWV, GWE, and GLS were changed in HTN; after 6 months of anti-hypertensive drug treatment, BP (SBP, DBP and MAP), HR, VAC, Ea, cfPWV, GWI, GCW, GWW, GWE, and GLS were found to be changed. VAC was linearly related to cfPWV and GLS at two follow ups. No statistically significant difference in VAC between HTN and NT was found. CONCLUSIONS. Along with a decrease in BP, smoking cessation, and HR control highlighted a significant role in cardiovascular prevention by improvement of VAC, Ea, cfPWV, GLS and MW.