Evidence favoring the hypothesis that ventricular arrhythmias have prognostic significance in left ventricular hypertrophy secondary to systemic hypertension.

In the present review 6 lines of evidence will be discussed that suggest a prognostic significance for ventricular arrhythmias in patients with systemic hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy: (1) in patients with systemic hypertension there is a statistical relation between asymptomatic ventricular arrhythmias and left ventricular hypertrophy; (2) in nonhypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy the prognostic value of ventricular arrhythmias is well known; (3) left ventricular hypertrophy is related to sudden death in patients with systemic hypertension; (4) it is generally acknowledged that ventricular arrhythmias are a frequent cause of sudden death; (5) there is experimental evidence to support the arrhythmic risk of left ventricular hypertrophy; and (6) it has been recently demonstrated that ventricular arrhythmias influence mortality in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy secondary to systemic hypertension. However, whether asymptomatic ventricular arrhythmias are specific markers for more severe sustained arrhythmias, or just markers for a more severe stage of the disease, remains to be determined.