What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Cohort. Population: Hypertension and mild-to-moderate chronic kidney disease (n=413). Intervention: Stage 3 CKD vs. Without CKD. Primary outcome: Prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) (p=<0.01).

What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to characterize cardiac abnormalities in hypertensive postmenopausal women with mild-to-moderate CKD.

April 12, 2026Open Access

Beyond Blood Pressure: Cardiac Structural and Functional Abnormalities in Hypertensive Postmenopausal Women with Mild-to-Moderate Chronic Kidney Disease

Q: What are the key findings of this study?

Stage 3 CKD in hypertensive postmenopausal women was associated with a significantly higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (46.7% vs 21.5%, p<0.01) compared to those without CKD.

Q: What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to characterize cardiac abnormalities in hypertensive postmenopausal women with mild-to-moderate CKD.

Key Result

Stage 3 CKD in hypertensive postmenopausal women was associated with a significantly higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (46.7% vs 21.5%, p<0.01) compared to those without CKD.

Key Points

This research aims to characterize cardiac abnormalities in hypertensive postmenopausal women with mild-to-moderate CKD.
Conducted a prospective observational cohort study with 413 participants
Stratified into CKD stage 3 and control groups based on kidney function
Utilized clinical evaluations, laboratory tests, and standardized echocardiography
Assessed cardiovascular conditions including left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction
Performed multivariable logistic regression to analyze associations
CKD group had a significantly higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (46.7% vs. 21.5%)
Higher rates of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction were noted (55.8% vs. 36.0%)
Chronic coronary syndromes were also more common in the CKD group (15.5% vs. 7.5%)
The combination of left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction indicated a high-risk cardiac phenotype (41.3% vs. 12.5%)
Stage 3 CKD remained independently linked to these cardiac abnormalities after adjustments

Study Design

Type

Cohort (n=413)

Multicenter

Structured PICO

Does mild-to-moderate chronic kidney disease increase the prevalence of cardiac structural and functional abnormalities in hypertensive postmenopausal women?

Population

413 hypertensive postmenopausal women consecutively referred to a tertiary center, stratified into a CKD group with stage 3 CKD (eGFR 30-59 mL/min/1.73 m2; n=213) and a control group without CKD (n=200).

Intervention

Stage 3 chronic kidney disease (eGFR 30-59 mL/min/1.73 m2) as an exposure

Comparator

Control group without chronic kidney disease

Outcome

Prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD), and chronic coronary syndromes (CCS)surrogate

In hypertensive postmenopausal women, mild-to-moderate CKD is independently associated with a significantly higher burden of left ventricular hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction, and chronic coronary syndromes compared to hypertension alone.

Main Result

Absolute Event Rate: 46.7% vs 21.5%

p-value: p=<0.01

Abstract

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, even at early stages. Postmenopausal women represent a particularly vulnerable population due to estrogen deficiency, which promotes adverse cardiovascular remodeling. However, data specifically characterizing the cardiac phenotype of hypertensive postmenopausal women with mild-to-moderate CKD remain limited. Methods: We conducted a prospective observational cohort study including 413 hypertensive postmenopausal women consecutively referred to a tertiary center between 2019 and 2022. Participants were stratified into a CKD group with stage 3 CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate of 30–59 mL/min/1.73 m2; n = 213) and a control group without CKD (n = 200). All subjects underwent comprehensive clinical evaluation, laboratory testing, and standardized transthoracic echocardiography. The prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD), and chronic coronary syndromes (CCS) was assessed. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate independent associations between CKD and cardiovascular abnormalities. Results: Compared with controls, women with CKD showed a significantly higher prevalence of LVH (46.7% vs. 21.5%), LVDD (55.8% vs. 36.0%), and CCS (15.5% vs. 7.5%) (all p < 0.01). The coexistence of LVH and LVDD identified a high-risk cardiac phenotype that was markedly more frequent in the CKD group (41.3% vs. 12.5%). After adjustment for age, body mass index, blood pressure, duration of hypertension, smoking status, and antihypertensive therapy, stage 3 CKD remained independently associated with LVH, LVDD, and CCS. Conclusions: In hypertensive postmenopausal women, mild-to-moderate CKD is associated with a substantial burden of cardiac structural and functional abnormalities exceeding that attributable to hypertension alone, supporting early cardiovascular screening and an integrated cardiorenal approach.