Systolic synchrony is impaired in nonleft ventricular hypertrophy of never-treated hypertensive patients

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the current study was to confirm the degrees of dyssynchrony in patients with nonleft ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and never-treated hypertension compared with normal controls or patients with LVH and never-treated hypertension. METHODS AND RESULTS: We enrolled 200 consecutive never-treated hypertensive patients and 104 age-matched and sex-matched normal controls. The following parameters were evaluated by echocardiography comprising conventional Doppler, tissue Doppler imaging, and strain imaging: global dyssynchrony; systolic dyssynchrony (longitudinal); diastolic dyssynchrony; and contractile diastolic dyssynchrony. Systolic dyssynchrony in the LVH group with hypertension was more aggravated than in normal controls (P < 0.001). In addition, global, diastolic, and contractile diastolic dyssynchrony in the LVH group with hypertension were more aggravated than in the non-LVH group with hypertension (all P < 0.001), but systolic dyssynchrony was not different between the two groups. All of the above associations remained significant after adjustment for confounding factors. CONCLUSION: Systolic synchrony was impaired in patients with non-LVH and never-treated hypertension to a similar degree in the LVH group with never-treated hypertension.