Abstract

Background: Systemic hypertension, a common disorder with potentially serious complications, exerts ill effects through structural and functional modifications of arterial wall. Haemodynamics play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. Local hemodynamic temporal pressure and wall shear stress are important for understanding the mechanisms leading to various complications in cardiovascular function. Objectives: Since we could not find such a study in literature involving Indian population, this prompted us to investigate and establish the relationship between the blood pressure and the ascending aortic pulse wave parameters in normal individuals and compare the same with hypertensives. Material and Methods: A case control study was done in a tertiary care hospital involving 25 hypertensive parents and further compared with 25 normotensive subjects of same age group acting as control. The GE ̶ P 100 Doppler echocardiography machine was used to study acceleration time, deceleration time, ejection time, ejection fraction, peak flow velocity and pressure gradient in hypertensives and compared the same with age matched normotensive. Also ascending aortic diameter was mapped at the annulus. Results: The results of our study confirmed our assumption that in hypertensive the ascending aortic haemodynamic parameters are abnormal and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure does exert a statistically significant influence on the Doppler parameters of ascending aorta. The acceleration time, deceleration time, pressure gradient and ejection time showed statistically significant increase in hypertensives when compared to normotensive. At the same time the ejection fraction and the ascending aortic diameter showed a statistically significant decrease than normotensive. Conclusion: We would conclude to say that the Doppler parameters of ascending aortic blood flow are abnormal in hypertensives. This altered haemodynamics may lead to further ill effects by way of altered peripheral haemodynamics. This Doppler evaluation of ascending aortic blood flow can be developed as a clinical tool for evaluating hypertensives and assessing the benefit of treatment of hypertension.

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