The analysis of systolic and diastolic time intervals: a more sensitive non-invasive method in the assessment of left ventricular dysfunction in the patients with essential hypertension.

Time indices and volumetric parameters were investigated in patients with essential hypertension subdivided into three groups according to the WHO stage classification. The ratio of ejection time (ET) and pre-ejection period (PEP), ET/PEP remained within normal range in WHO-I but decreased significantly in WHO-II and reached extremely low values in WHO-III. ET did not change in WHO-I and WHO-II but became significantly reduced in WHO-III. Prolongation of PEP in WHO-II and WHO-III increased with progression of hypertensive stage. Isovolumic relaxation time (IRT) showed the same pattern as the prolongation of PEP; positive correlation between PEP and IRT was observed (r=0.55). On the other hand, significant changes of volumetric parameters were only observed in WHO-III. These results indicated that the time indices were a more sensitive parameter than the volumetric ones in the assessment of left ventricular dysfunction in the patients with essential hypertension.