We assessed the effects of long-term antihypertensive treatment with 5 mg tertatolol, a noncardioselective beta-blocker, on left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and diastolic function. Fifteen hypertensive patients were selected as good responders to previous treatment with tertatolol (supine blood pressure less than 140/90 mm Hg). They were divided into 2 groups: group 1 with LVH (n = 6) and group 2 without LVH (n = 9). After a one month wash-out period, all patients received 5 mg tertatolol once daily. In case of uncontrolled blood pressure (BP), the dose was doubled after 2 weeks in 10 patients. BP control was obtained in all patients. M-mode echocardiography and Doppler-echocardiography were performed under controlled conditions after BP normalization and after 6 months of treatment. Long-term BP normalization significantly reduced left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in group 1 (from 137 +/- 3 to 121 +/- 3 g/m2, P less than .01), but not in group 2 (from 120 +/- 3 to 114 +/- 4 g/m2, P = NS). After 2 weeks of effective therapy, the ratio between early and late diastolic peak flow velocity across the mitral valve (E/A ratio), significantly increased in both groups (from 0.72 +/- 0.04 to 0.87 +/- 0.06 in group 1, P less than .05; and from 1.13 +/- 0.06 to 1.26 +/- 0.07 in group 2, P less than .05). After 6 months, together with the reduction of LVMI, a further increase of E/A ratio was only observed in group 1 (to 1.30 +/- 0.12, P less than .05).
In conclusion: (1) LVH contributes to left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in hypertensive patients since its reversal is able to improve diastolic filling, and (2) effective antihypertensive treatment with tertatolol improves diastolic function independently from its effect on LV mass.