Clinical characteristics of patients with essential hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy over the entire study (n = 122): basal, stage I = at 12 months, stage II = at 24 months.

<p><a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0031189#s3" target="_blank">Results</a> are shown as mean (SD) or percentage of subjects. NT-proBNP levels are presented as the median and interquartile range.</p><p>BMI, body mass index; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; DT, deceleration time; E/A, flow velocity in early diastole and during atrial contraction ratio; EF, ejection fraction; GFR, glomerular filtration rate; LVMI, left ventricular mass index; NT-proBNP, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels; PP, pulse pressure; RVm, maximum longitudinal relaxation velocity of left ventricle; SBP, systolic blood pressure. Significant difference versus basal levels; Vp, mitral flow propagation velocity:</p><p>*p<0.05;</p>†<p>p<0.01;</p>‡<p>p<0.0001.