Association of myocardial strain with left ventricular geometry and progression of hypertensive heart disease

Different patterns of abnormal left ventricular (LV) geometry are associated with variations in prognosis, but the mechanisms of these effects remain undefined. We investigated the association of myocardial deformation with these findings and their evolution. Two-dimensional echocardiography was performed in 85 hypertensive patients referred for serial evaluation (age 58 ± 13 years, 48% male). LV mass index and regional wall thickness were used to assign patients into groups with normal geometry, concentric remodeling, concentric hypertrophy, and eccentric hypertrophy. Septal strain and strain rate were measured using velocity vector imaging. The evolution of morphological changes was followed over 2.7 ± 1.3 years. Analysis of LV geometry revealed normal geometry in 13 patients (15%), concentric remodeling in 20 (24%), concentric hypertrophy in 42 (49%), and eccentric hypertrophy in 10 (12%). Overall strain was -13.6 ± 4.5%, and strain rate was -0.65 ± 0.24/second. Strain was significantly lower in patients with concentric remodeling (-12.8 ± 4.2%) or concentric hypertrophy (-12.5 ± 4.1%) compared with patients with normal geometry (-17.5 ± 5.5%, p ≤0.05), and these associations were independent of blood pressure. Strain rate was also significantly reduced in patients with concentric hypertrophy (p ≤0.01). There were no significant differences in baseline strain, wall stress, blood pressure, or age between patients who changed LV geometric class and those who did not. In conclusion, baseline myocardial tissue deformation, but not evolution, is associated with LV geometry in treated hypertensive patients.