[Characteristics of the cardiovascular system in children with primary arterial hypotension].

Overall 120 children aged 12 to 15 years with primary arterial hypotension and different variants of the disease course (grave, of medium gravity or mild) were examined. The control group was made up to 50 normal children. The program of the examination included electrocardiography, echocardiography, tetrapolar chest rheography and bicycle ergometry. It has been established that in children with arterial hypotension, the intracardiac hemodynamics undergoes compensatory adaptive reconstruction characterized by the enhancement of contractile and pump functions of the myocardium combined with the increased relaxation capacity. The central hemodynamics is characterized by the lowering of the general peripheral vascular resistance. The functional potentialities of the cardiovascular system decline, manifesting in the form of a decrease of exercise tolerance in association with energy losses necessary for its performance. The use of bicycle ergometry made it possible to delineate dysadaptation reactions of arterial pressure to exercise, modified by hereditary factors.