Gender Differences in Left Ventricular Size and Geometric Pattern of Hypertension Subjects

Left Ventricular Hypertrophy (LVH) and Left Ventricular (LV) geometric pattern are known risk factors for increased burden of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with hypertension, but the influence of gender on these parameters remains unclear. Two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiograms were recorded in 676 newly presenting hypertensive adults and 162 normal controls. Left ventricular mass was estimated using M-mode echocardiography and indexed by body surface area. Relative Wall Thickness (RWT) and Left Ventricular Mass Index (LVMI) were used to classify LV geometric patterns according to gender. The left ventricle of females had a greater fractional shortening (30.6 10.4 versus 26.4 11.6), smaller end diastolic chamber size (48 9.0 versus 51.6 10.6) and higher ejection fraction (56.5 16.4 versus 53.7 17.7) than males. Ninety (22.5%) hypertensive males against 68 (24.7%) females had normal LV geometry (p = 0.49). Incidence of concentric remodelling was similar (p = 0.86) between females and males (23.3% versus 22.7%, respectively). LVH occurred in 54.8% of males versus 52% of females, p = 0.46. Eccentric LVH was commoner (p = 0.01) in males but more (p = 0.04) females had concentric LVH. LVMI in the 2 groups, septal thickness in males, posterior wall thickness and weight in females were predictors of LV geometric pattern, respectively.