Left ventricular diastolic function in early hypertension

Abstract

This thesis presents the development of clinical applications of the relatively new ultrasound modality, TDI in conjunction with the earlier more established modalities of echocardiography. The contents of this thesis outline the investigations leading up to the recognition of the early diastolic dysfunction in hypertension. From there we examine the usefulness of new parameters of diastole, which allows us to measure the diastolic function in newly diagnosed untreated hypertensive patients. Doppler echocardiography provides an important noninvasive method for the assessment and follow-up of patients with diastolic dysfunction (DD). However, no comprehensive consensus regarding diagnostic echocardiographic criteria for diastolic dysfunction has been reached, but guidelines have been proposed. We therefore assessed the prevalence of diastolic dysfunction using criteria provided by the Canadian consensus, American Medical Association, and European guidelines in patients with newly diagnosed hypertension. In addition, we assessed the same patients with a comprehensive series of Tissue Doppler parameters to define more accurately the prevalence of diastolic dysfunction in a population newly diagnosed hypertension.