Evaluation Of Left Ventricular Twist In Patients With Primary Hypertension By Velocity Vector Imaging

Objective To probe into the clinical value of Velocity vector imaging (VVI) on the left ventricular twist (LVtw) in patients with primary hypertension.Methods 68patients with primary hypertension and 28 age-matched healthy control subjects were investigated for systolic and diastolic heart wall motion on a basal and an apical level of the myocardium using color Dopple echocardiography. Based on Ganau, patients with primary hypertension were divided into 3 groups:normal geometry(20 cases),concentric hypertrophy(23 cases)and eccentric hypertrophy(25 cases).LV twist and untwist were defined as apical rotation(rotation rate)relative to the base level.Result compared With normals, the peak LV untwist velocity in patients with hypertension increased, the time to peak untwist velocity is prolonged, the % isovolumic untwist decreased(P<0.05). Peak LV twist was significantly higher in patients with concentric hypertrophy and normal geometry than normals. ((P<0.05或P<0.01)). Peak LV twist was significantly lower in patients with eccentric hypertrophy than normals (P<0.01). Significant correlatlon was found between LV twist and LVEF(r=0.65, P<0.05).Conclusions VVI is an adoptable,reliable and noninvasive investigation of left ventricular torsional deformation,and can evaluate the early change of heart function.