Comparison of diastolic left ventricular filling and cardiac dysrhythmias in hypertensive patients with and without isolated septal hypertrophy

Although many patients with hypertension develop isolated septal hypertrophy (ISH) rather than concentric or eccentric left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, limited data are available on cardiac structure, function, and arrhythmias in hypertensive patients with ISH. Clinical features, hemodynamics, M-mode echocardiograms, and 24-hour electrocardiographic recordings were evaluated in 21 healthy normotensive subjects, 23 hypertensive patients without LV hypertrophy, 31 hypertensive patients with concentric LV hypertrophy, and 23 hypertensive patients with ISH to determine the prevalence and complexity of cardiac arrhythmias and diastolic LV filling abnormalities. Age, sex, race, obesity indexes, preload, ejection fraction, and LV contractility were similar in all 4 groups, and arterial pressure and afterload were statistically similar in the 3 hypertensive groups. Left atrial emptying index (