Hypertension and its association to phenotype on left ventricular function in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract

Aim: The impact of hypertension (HT) on phenotypic expression in individuals with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is unclear.

Materials and methods: Thirty-six HCM individuals without HT, 27 HCM with HT, and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls who underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) to evaluate left ventricular (LV) function and strain were enrolled. Three groups' LV function and strain were compared. We also investigated whether HT was associated with reduced LV strain in HCM patients using univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses.

Results: HCM (with/without HT) patients had higher LV mass and LV mass index than the normal controls group. Furthermore, global radial strain, global circumferential strain (GCS), global longitudinal strain, global peak systolic strain rate of radial, and global peak diastolic strain rate of radial were significantly lower in HCM patients with HT, intermediate in HCM patients without HT, and greater in the normal controls (all, P<0.05). Worse GCS was observed in HCM patients with HT than those without HT (P<0.05). Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that HT was independently associated with impaired LV ejection fraction and reduced strain (all P<0.05).

Conclusion: The presence of HT was associated with an adverse phenotype, including worse ejection fraction and reduced strains in HCM patients. In addition, management of HT and its effect on the clinical outcomes in HCM patients needs to be studied.