Predictors of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Hypertensive Patients in Assiut Governorate

Many cohort studies have demonstrated that hypertension is a strong risk factor for total mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in both developing and developed countries.

Although brachial blood pressure (BP) mea¬surements have been used for over a century more and more data suggest that measuring of brachial BP has important limitations. First, a few office BP readings may not be representa¬tive of BP during a patient's daily life. Second, brachial BP may differ from systolic BP mea¬sured at the level of the ascending aorta, i.e. central BP, which is responsible for left ventri¬cle afterload and determines blood flow through coronary and brain arteries .

Recent data from the Strong Heart Study confirm earlier results from smaller studies on high-risk patients that central pulse pressure is superior to brachial pulse pressure in the prediction of further cardiovascular events.

The results of the Conduit Artery Function Evaluation (CAFE) study reminded clinicians of the importance of CBP. Those results demonstrated significant differences in CBP (central SBP and PP) between patient groups treated with different antihypertensive regimens even though peripheral BP levels were comparably lowered, and suggested the potential superiority of CBP to cuff brachial BP in cardiovascular prognostic predictive value in hypertensive patients.

Modifiable risk factors for CVD that are common among adults with hypertension include cigarette smoking/tobacco smoke exposure, DM, dyslipidemia (including high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or hypercholesterolemia, high levels of triglycerides, and low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), overweight/obesity, physical inactivity/low fitness level, and unhealthy diet .

There are clear examples around the world of ethnic variations in response to drug therapies epitomized by the benefits of thiazide diuretics and calcium channel blockers in lowering BP in blacks and perhaps in older people of all races, whereas blockers of the renin angiotensin system and β-adrenoceptor receptor blockers are just as effective in some other populations.

Urbanization is a factor that profoundly affects BP patterns. In developed countries, hypertension is more common in rural populations than in urban. This pattern is reversed in developing, lower-, and middle-income countries where the first impact of rising rates of hypertension is seen in urban communities.