Background: Hypertension is associated with left ventricular diastolic function abnormalities. There have been few studies evaluating left ventricular diastolic function in an African populace.
Materials and methods: Ninety-eight hypertensives (52 females, 46 males) and 99 normal controls (49 females, 50 males) were recruited for echocardiography. M-mode measurements and Doppler measurements of Mitral inflow and pulmonary venous flow were taken.
Results: The hypertensives had significantly larger left ventricular wall thicknesses than the controls PWT: 0.93 (0.214) vs. 0.88 (0.130), p=0.039: septum: 0.93 (0.255) vs. 0.87 (0.131), p=0.039. The left ventricular mass indexed to the allometric power of height was larger in the hypertensives than in the controls. The Doppler parameters of peak A-wave velocity, E/A ratio, deceleration time, peak pulmonary venous S-wave, peak pulmonary venous D-wave, S/D ratio and peak pulmonary reverse flow velocity were significantly different between the hypertensives and the controls. The major determinant of left ventricular diastolic function parameters were age and the duration of hypertension. The level of the systolic blood pressure, left atrial size and ejection fraction are less important determinants.
Conclusion: Nigerian hypertensives have significantly different diastolic function indices when compared with normal controls.