Reduction of left ventricular mass index with blood pressure reduction in chronic renal failure

• Published in: Clinical nephrology Vol. 52; no. 6; p. 377
• Main Authors: Tucker, B, Fabbian, F, Giles, M, Johnston, A, Baker, L R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 01.12.1999
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Blood Pressure; Cohort Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular; Kidney Failure, Chronic - physiopathology; Male; Middle Aged; Organ Size
• ISSN: 0301-0430

We have reported previously in a study of 85 non-diabetic patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) that 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) recording and echocardiography are required for accurate diagnosis of inadequate blood pressure (BP) control and early left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). In this study we found that the only independent determinants of left ventricular (LV) mass were hypertension, male sex, body mass index (BMI) and anemia. Little is known about the progression of LVH in patients as they progress from moderate to end-stage renal failure. We undertook a follow-up observational study in a cohort of 65 (26 male, 12 black Afro-Caribbean and 7 Asian) of those patients originally investigated. Patients who had reached end-stage renal failure (ESRF) were not studied. A statistically significant correlation was found between change in left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and change in mean ABP parameters (r = 0.27 (p<0.03) for 24-h systolic, r = 0.21 (p<0.05) for 24-h diastolic, r = 0.29 (p<0.02) for mean arterial pressure (MAP), r = 0.24 (p<0.05) for daytime systolic, r = 0.30 (p<0.02) for nocturnal systolic and r = 0.26 (p<0.05) for nocturnal diastolic BP). Hemoglobin concentration and BMI changed little between the two studies and no other statistically significant correlations were found in respect of any other parameters studied, which has allowed us to isolate the effect of one determinant - adequacy of BP control-upon LVH. In patients with moderate chronic renal impairment, reduction in BP is associated with reduction of LVMI over time. Among the antihypertensive agents ACE inhibitors appeared to have the greatest ability to reduce LV mass in the subjects with LVH at baseline. Larger interventional studies are needed to determine whether ACE inhibitors are superior to other anti-hypertensive agents in LVH regression in chronic renal failure patients.