Association of arterial hemodynamics with left ventricular systolic function in hypertensive patients: A longitudinal study.

Background: Left ventricular (LV) systolic impairment, particularly in the longitudinal direction, is considered an early and sensitive marker of hypertensive heart disease and increased cardiovascular risk. The evidence indicates that aortic stiffness and central hemodynamic factors are important determinants of LV performance, mediating the interaction between the heart and vascular load. Despite the existence of cross-sectional analyses linking central blood pressure (BP) parameters with LV mechanics, no longitudinal data are available which include serial measurements in the course of antihypertensive treatment.

Echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular strain in severe aortic stenosis with therapeutic implications and risk stratification.

Degenerative aortic stenosis (AS) is an increasingly common acquired valvular heart disease in adults due to the extension of life expectancy in the population of developing countries. The occurrence of calcifications and associated severe aortic stenosis (SAS) increases with age and affects approx. 3-5% of people over 75 years of age.