Application of the 2016 ASE-EACVI Criteria for the Assessment of Diastolic Function in Arterial Hypertension.

INTRODUCTION

No data are available on the diagnostic algorithms recommended by guidelines for the assessment of diastolic dysfunction (DD) in patients with arterial hypertension.

AIM

To fill this gap, we evaluated diastolic function in hypertensive patients with and without LVH matched with healthy subjects by applying 2016 American Society of Echocardiography-European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging Guidelines for the evaluation of LV diastolic function.

METHODS

717 healthy and hypertensives with normal LV ejection fraction and with and without LV hypertrophy (LVH), matched 1:1:1 from two prospective registries, represented the study population.

RESULTS

By applying algorithm A, indeterminate pattern was found in 0.4% of healthy, in 6.3% of hypertensives without LVH, and in 21% with LVH (overall p < 0.05 vs. healthy). DD was absent in healthy, however present in 2 and 8% of hypertensives without and with LVH (p = 0.06 and p = 0.001 vs. healthy, respectively). By applying algorithm B, no cases of indeterminate pattern were found. DD was observed in 2.9% of healthy, 7 and 10.5% of hypertensives without and with LVH (p < 0.05 vs. healthy).

CONCLUSIONS

The use of algorithm A should be limited only to truly normal subjects, whereas algorithm B should be applied to all patients with hypertension, even without comorbidities and irrespective of LVH.