[Analysis of left ventricular heart function from two-dimensional M-mode echocardiography in arterial hypertension].

179 male hypertensives with above all mild arterial hypertension were in comparison to 55 male normotensives investigated by means of a two-dimensionally regulated M-mode echocardiogram for the recognition of left-ventricular functional disturbances. Thereby the hypertensives showed a significantly higher mean value for the left-ventricular ejection time as well as a significantly more frequent number (11.2%) of cases with a frequency-normed average circumferent shortening speed of the fibres below 0.82 circ/s and thus a beginning reduction of the contractility of the left ventricle. Stroke volume, ejection fraction and increase of the thickness of the left-ventricular walls of the heart did not show any significant differences between hypertensives and normotensives. With the calculation of these parameters the M-mode echocardiogram is apparently overcharged.