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(Circulation. 2002;105:830.)
© 2002 American Heart Association, Inc.

Clinical Investigation and Reports

Relationship Between Treatment-Induced Changes in Left Ventricular Mass and Blood Pressure in Black African Hypertensive Patients

Results of the Baragwanath Trial

Daniel Skudicky, MD; Pinhas Sareli, MD; Elena Libhaber, MSc; Geoffrey Candy, MSc; Ivo Radevski, MD; Zdravska Valtchanova, MD; Elizabeth Tshele, RN; Lutgarde Thijs, MSc; Ji-Guang Wang, MD; Jan A. Staessen, MD

From the Department of Cardiology, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; and The Study Coordinating Centre (L.T., J.-G.W., J.A.S.), Hypertension and Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Unit, Department of Molecular and Cardiovascular Research, University of Leuven, Belgium.

Correspondence to Daniel Skudicky, MD, Department of Cardiology, Baragwanath Hospital, PO Bertsham 2013, Johannesburg, South Africa. E-mail dskudi{at}icon.co.za

Background— In a single-center study, we compared to what extent changes in conventional and ambulatory blood pressure (BP) predicted regression of left ventricular mass (LVM) index in response to antihypertensive treatment in previously untreated and treated patients with sustained hypertension.

Methods and Results— We enrolled 173 black African patients who, off treatment, had a daytime diastolic BP ranging from 90 to 114 mm Hg. Antihypertensive drugs were titrated and combined to reduce the daytime diastolic BP below 90 mm Hg. Echocardiograms were obtained at baseline and follow-up. Mean systolic/diastolic clinic BP, 24-hour BP, and LVM index were similar in previously untreated (n=64) and previously treated (n=109) patients and averaged 171/102 mm Hg, 151/97 mm Hg, and 118 g/m², respectively. At 4 months, these values had decreased (P<0.001) by 26/12 mm Hg, 23/14 mm Hg, and 14 g/m² in previously untreated patients and by 22/9 mm Hg, 21/13 mm Hg, and 19 g/m² in previously treated patients. In the previously untreated patients, the regression in LVM index correlated to a similar degree (P=0.09) with the decreases in the conventional (r=0.34; P=0.005) and the 24-hour (r=0.26; P=0.04) systolic BP. In the previously treated patients, the corresponding correlations were 0.02 (P=0.82) and -0.10 (P=0.32), respectively. Compared with the 24-hour systolic BP, automated oscillometric measurements of systolic BP obtained at the clinic yielded similar results.

Conclusions— In previously untreated patients with sustained hypertension followed at a single center, reductions in clinic and ambulatory systolic pressure in response to antihypertensive treatment equally predicted the regression in LVM index.

Key Words: blood pressure • hypertrophy • hypertension