ST-T segment changes in patients with essential hypertension.

The cause of ischaemic ST-T segment changes in essential hypertension (EH) was investigated. The ECG was compared to coronary arteriograms and autopsy findings. In group A (n = 75) without ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) pathologic ST-T changes were found in 39 patients. All of these had a coronary artery disease (CAD). In group B (n = 50) with LVH a pathologic ST-T segment was observed in 20 patients; 16 of these had a CAD. The association between pathologic ST-T segments and CAD was significant in both groups. It is concluded that among patients with EH, changes in the ST-T segment are almost always due to the CAD, regardless of the presence LVH.