Effects of myocardial function in geriatric hypertension at 1 year of
follow-up in the single-center SPRINT
Abstract
Background A lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) target reduces major
cardiovascular events and mortality from any cause in geriatric
hypertension. However, the effect of different SBP targets on left
ventricular (LV) function remains unclear. This study aimed to determine
changes in LV strain in older hypertensive patients after 1 year of
different SBP goals, and to evaluate its effects on LV function in this
population. Methods We studied 313 hypertensive adults aged 60 years or
older after 1 year of the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial.
They were divided into the intensive group (target SBP: 110–130 mmHg)
and the standard group (target SBP: 130–150 mmHg). All participants
underwent echocardiography within 1 week after enrollment and 1 year
after participating in the study. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) of
the LV (endocardial, middle, and epicardial layer: GLS-end, GLS-mid, and
GLS-epi, respectively) and improvement of GLS at 1 year (ΔGLS-end,
ΔGLS-mid, and ΔGLS-epi) were measured. Results At 1 year, GLS-end in the
intensive group was decreased compared with that before the trial
(−23.78%±3.10% vs −22.58%±3.11%, P<0.05). The ΔGLS-end and
ΔGLS-mid in the intensive group were higher than those in the standard
group (both P<0.05). Moreover, SBP at 1 year and an
angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist were independent factors that
affected ΔGLS-end. Conclusions These trial results suggest that a lower
SBP target is beneficial for LV myocardial function of older
hypertensive patients at 1 year.