Echocardiographic Evaluation of Left Ventricular Systolic and Diastolic Function in Hypertension

Hypertension is a significant health problem, i.e., associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. The hallmark of hypertensive disease is a gradual increase in left ventricular (LV) mass, resulting in concentric hypertrophy and eventual diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle secondary to LV stiffness and impaired relaxation. Late stages may be characterized by severe LV systolic dysfunction and dilatation. Echocardiography offers clinicians a quick, reliable, and inexpensive method of assessing changes in LV function resulting from hypertension. In this review, we summarize various echocardiographic parameters, including their advantages and disadvantages, and clinicians should be familiar with in order to ascertain an assessment of cardiovascular risk in hypertensive patients.