Ajayi O.E., Abiona T.C., Balogun M.O., Ajayi A.A.L.
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria; Department of Health Studies, College of Health Sciences, Chicago State University, Chicago, IL, United States; Division of Hypertension and Clinical Pharmacolog
Ajayi, O.E., Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria; Abiona, T.C., Department of Health Studies, College of Health Sciences, Chicago State University, Chicago, IL, United States; Balogun, M.O., Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria; Ajayi, A.A.L., Department of Health Studies, College of Health Sciences, Chicago State University, Chicago, IL, United States, Division of Hypertension and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
Background: Blacks have both a higher hypertension prevalence and accelerated cardiac end organ damage. Because blacks also have a higher prevalence of valvular heart disease, which occurs at a younger age than for whites, we further examined the contribution of valvular regurgitation to the severity of hypertensive heart disease in Nigerians. Methods: We evaluated and compared echocardiographic indexes in 75 essential hypertensive Nigerians with (n = 48) and without (n = 27) valvular regurgitations. Demographic and echocardiographic indices, as well as the types and severity of valvular lesions were compared between the groups using bivariate logistic regression and analysis of variance. Results: The 2 groups were of similar demographics, but those with regurgitations had larger cardiac size (p < .05), greater mass (147 ± 31 vs 122 ± 32 g/m 2, p = .01) higher volume (p < .01), and left atrial size (35.6 ± 4.6 vs 33.3 ± 4.6 mm, p < .05). Atrial size, cardiac volume, and dimension were independent correlates/predictors of regurgitation occurrence. Relative wall thickness of at least 0.6 was more common in regurgitation patients. Cardiac mass was correlated to increasing age (r = 0.23, p = .043). The valvular lesions frequencies were aortic regurgitation, 8; mitral regurgitation, 22; and mixed, 18. The aortic orifice dimension was significantly different among the regurgitant cases, highest in aortic regurgitation (p = .001). Aortic orifice dimension increased with hypertension duration (p = .028). Conclusions: Regurgitant lesions are common and occur early in hypertensive Africans. Apparently mild valvular regurgitation may accentuate preclinical concentric hypertrophy in hypertensive blacks.
adult; aorta valve regurgitation; arterial wall thickness; artery diameter; article; cardiovascular risk; clinical article; clinical assessment; comparative study; controlled study; disease duration; disease severity; Doppler echocardiography; essential hypertension; female; heart left atrium; heart left ventricle ejection fraction; heart left ventricle enddiastolic volume; heart left ventricle filling; heart rate; heart size; heart volume; human; male; mitral valve regurgitation; Nigeria; priority journal; two dimensional echocardiography; Adult; African Continental Ancestry Group; Aged; Echocardiography, Doppler; Female; Heart Valve Diseases; Heart Ventricles; Humans; Hypertension; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular; Male; Middle Aged; Nigeria; Organ Size; Ventricular Function, Left