Introduction:

Changes in ventricular geometry in hypertensive patients are influenced by 24-hour control of blood pressure, as well as its adequate decrease during nighttime.

Objective:

To describe the left ventricle geometric patterns in patients with or without nocturnal hypertension.

Method:

An ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and an echocardiogram were performed on 54 patients with high blood pressure, from 2016 to 2017. The following ABPM variables were calculated: average and pressure loads of daytime, nighttime, and 24-hour, as well as circadian pattern. In the echocardiogram, the diameters, the interventricular septum and the left ventricular posterior wall were measured; its mass and mass index were calculated, as well as determined its geometric and diastolic function patterns.

Results:

The average age was 57.4%±14.1 years old. Females (57.4%) and white skin color (59.3%) predominated. Waking and nocturnal hypertension were found in 38.9% and 51.9% respectively, and the altered dipper phenomenon was found in 68.5% of the patients, significantly associated with increased nocturnal blood pressure (p=0.001). The interventricular septum was considerably higher in patients with nocturnal hypertension when compared to the group without it (11.1±2.2 vs. 9.6±1.4 mm; p=0.006). Altered geometry predominated (53.7%) at the expense of higher concentric remodeling (40.7%), without any association with nocturnal hypertension.

Conclusions:

Left ventricle geometric patterns behaved similarly in patients with and without nocturnal hypertension.

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