Abnormal Blood Pressure Load by Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor as a Predictor for Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Hypertensive Patients.

Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the accuracy of ambulatory blood pressure load as a predictor for LVH in comparison with echo in hypertensive patients. Methodology: We report ECG, echo study, and then ABPM findings in 53 individuals during 1 year. All of the referred subjects were hypertensive with variable socio-demographic characteristics. Results: We found 31 patients having LVH on echo study; most of them were male and significantly correlated with duration of hypertension, average 24-hours SBP and DBP, mean day-time and mean night-time SBP and DBP, and with the circadian rhythm. The association between LVH and BP load was also significant. Discussion: Echo was more sensitive than ECG in detecting LVH and ABPM was rather more sensitive than echo. The study had found that BP load measurement had very high sensitivity with an acceptable specificity and an excellent negative predictive value in rolling out LVH. The association between LVH and parameters of ABPM was also significant. Conclusions: Abnormalities on ABPM are very common in hypertensives and are strongly indicated to identify the BP profile. Recommendations: ABPM was more sensitive than ECG and echo study in the detection of LVH. Echo, on the other hand is rather more sensitive than ECG for the same purpose. Male hypertensive should be offered an ABPM at every opportunity for early detection of LVH.