Abstract

Background: Hypertension generally has no symptoms and is called the silent killer as the first warning presentation may itself be a cardiac failure or myocardial infarction, which is often massive and fatal. Hypertension many times remains asymptomatic for several years and is detected on regular health check-ups. Aims and
Objective: The objective of this study is to study the cardiac changes in both right and left ventricles by echocardiography in asymptomatic hypertensive participants.
Materials and Methods: Twenty-five asymptomatic cases and 29 normotensive controls (total 54 participants) were studied. All the participants were male aged between 20 years and 60 years and above. Clinical evaluation was done by determining their age, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, heart rate, and symptoms. Cardiac structural and functional changes were studied by echocardiogram. Cardiac output, stroke volume, left ventricular (LV) mass, right ventricular thickness, LV systolic and diastolic dimensions and functions, fractional fiber shortening, and ejection fraction were studied in both cases and controls.
Results: There was a change in LV mass in asymptomatic hypertensive participants when compared with control participants. There was a statistically significant change in LV mass measured in grams (weight) showing P < 0.001 (0.00 vs. 0.00) in asymptomatic cases and healthy normotensive controls, and the LV posterior wall also showed a statistically significant change with P < 0.001 (0.008 vs. 0.009) in asymptomatic cases and normotensive controls.
Conclusions: There is increased cardiac mortality and morbidity in asymptomatic hypertensive participants in whom the cardiac damage is concealed, compared with symptomatic hypertensives who consult a physician as soon as symptoms are felt.