Changes in left ventricular geometry during antihypertensive treatment

The reduction of echocardiographic left ventricular (LV) mass and the change toward a less concentric geometry during antihypertensive treatment are independently associated with a better prognosis. Blood pressure-lowering treatment may reduce cardiac hypertrophy, although different effect on changes of LV mass have been reported among antihypertensive drug classes, while changes in echocardiographic evaluated LV geometry have not been systemically evaluated. It is not yet clear whether antihypertensive drugs may influence LV geometry. Our aim was to compare the effects of diuretics (D), beta-blockers (BB), calcium channel blockers (CCB), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I), and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBS) on relative wall thickness (RWT) in patients with hypertension on the basis of prospective, randomized comparative studies.