Cardiac function of patients with essential hypertension during exercise and isoproterenol infusion.

The left ventricular function of patients with essential hypertension was examined during exercise and isoproterenol (ISP) infusion echocardiography. Twenty-eight hypertensive patients without cardiac hypertrophy (Group NH), 20 patients with cardiac hypertrophy (Group HH), 7 patients with cardiac dilatation (Group D), and 13 normotensives (Group N), were studied during multistage exercise using a supine bicycle ergometer. In addition, 23 hypertensives (Group NH: 13 patients, Group HH: 10 patients) and 10 normotensives were studied during ISP infusion (0.005 microgram/kg/min, and 0.01 microgram/kg/min, respectively, for 5 min). To assess the left ventricular function, an M-mode echocardiogram was utilized at rest and during exercise and ISP infusion. At rest, the isovolumic relaxation time (IRT) of each hypertensive group was significantly longer than that of Group N. IRT of Group HH and Group D was significantly longer than that of Group NH. Only the shortening fraction (SF) of Group D was significantly smaller than that of Group N. During exercise the SF increased in all groups, and only the SF of Group D was significantly smaller than that of Group N at a load of 75 W as well as at rest. The SF of Group HH tended to be smaller. There was no significant difference in peak negative dD/dt (-dD/dt) between any of the groups at rest; however, the -dD/dt of Group HH was significantly smaller than that of Group N during ISP infusion. We concluded that left ventricular diastolic function was disturbed in each hypertensive group at rest. Diastolic dysfunction worsened in Group HH and Group D. Only the left ventricular systolic function of Group D was already depressed at rest. Furthermore, unmanifested systolic dysfunction of the left ventricle seemed to be present in Group HH, because SF during exercise tended to be smaller and -dD/dt during ISP infusion was significantly smaller than that of Group N.