[Left ventricular myocardial hypertrophy in patients with arterial hypertension: the clinical characteristics and prognostic significance].

Blood pressures in the out- and inpatient settings, ECG findings and 24-hour Holter monitoring data, hemodynamic parameters, exercise test results, carbohydrate tolerance, blood lipid levels, and renal function were studied in 21 males with arterial hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy as evidenced by echocardiography and 20 patients of the same age who had the same disease length. The patients with left ventricular hypertrophy generally showed a more severe course of arterial hypertension: more elevated and stable blood pressure, more renal affliction than those without left ventricular hypertrophy. ECG monitoring indicated that they had ventricular premature contraction and atypical episodes of ST-segment depression. These patients displayed lower heart rate and its lower increment, but higher diastolic blood pressure at the peak of exercise. A five-year follow-up suggests that the patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (38.1%) have higher incidence rate of cardiovascular events than those without this abnormality (5%) (p < 0.01).