Disproportionate intraventricular septal hypertrophy in Nigerians with essential hypertension.

Abstract

It is not clear how frequently hypertrophic cardiomyopathy coexists with essential hypertension or whether chronic hypertension per se, induces hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (hypertensive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). Eighty-three Nigerians with essential hypertension alone underwent M-mode and 2 dimensional echocardiography study. Twenty per cent (17 patients) had disproportionate intraventricular septal hypertrophy (septum: posterior wall ratio ≥ 1.4). These subgroups tended to be elderly, with an average age of 57.7 years, and were predominantly male (70%). Two patients in this subgroup (2.4% of the total) additionally had thickened posterior left ventricles and a hyperdynamic left ventricular systolic function (fractional fiber shortening of 45%). This picture is consistent with "hypertensive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy." Routine echocardiography may permit the early identification and, thus, a closer scrutiny and follow-up of essential hypertensive patients with disproportionate septal thickness. The prognostic implications of this requires long-term study.