高血压左室构型与左室中层力学的关系

目的:用室壁应力-左室中层缩短率关系做为评价心肌收缩性的指标,研究高血压不同左室构型患者心肌收缩性的改变与心功能变化的关系.方法:应用超声心动图计算左室重量指数(LVMI)和相对室壁厚度(RWT),按LVMI和RWT将左心室分为四种构型.对117例原发性高血压病人和45例健康人左心室结构按左室室壁应力(MESS)和室壁中层缩短率(mFS)来估计心功能情况.结果:以射血分数、左室短轴缩短率和左室中层缩短率表示的收缩功能离心性肥厚受损最重,以室壁应力-左室中层缩短率关系表示的心肌收缩性,向心性肥厚最重.以EF斜率等表示的心脏舒张功能高血压不同左室构型患者损害不同,舒张功能的改变与心肌收缩性的损害成正相关.结论:高血压不同左室构型患者心肌收缩性损害不同,左室构型向向心性发展在一定阶段上代偿了心肌收缩性的下降,以保持心脏收缩排血功能的正常.     

心率变异性与高血压左室重构关系的研究

目的：心率变异性（ＨＲＶ）分析是反映心脏自主神经活动的一项无创性指标。方法：研究ＨＲＶ在高血压左室重构中的作用,应用ＨＲＶ时域与频域分析法,检测与分析７０例高血压病（ＥＨ）男性患者２４小时ＲＲ间期标准差（ＳＤＮＮ）、心率变异指数（ＨＲＶＩ）及心率功率谱密度（ＰＳＤ）;并采用超声心动图测定相对室壁厚度（ＲＷＴ）与左室重量指数（ＬＶＭＩ）对患者进行左室构型分类。３０例健康男性被同期检测,以作对照。结果：７０ 例ＥＨ 患者被分为正常构型（ＲＷＴ 与ＬＶＭＩ均正常）,向心性重构（ＲＷＴ 增加,但ＬＶＭＩ正常）,向心性肥厚（ＲＷＴ与ＬＶＭＩ均增加）及离心性肥厚（ＲＷＴ正常,但ＬＶＭＩ增加）四个左室构型组。四组患者ＳＤＮＮ、ＨＲＶＩ、ＰＳＤ的低频（ＬＦ）峰值及其与高频（ＨＦ）峰值之比（ＬＦ／ＨＦ）均较正常人减低,而ＰＳＤ的ＨＦ峰值却均较正常人增高,该ＨＲＶ 变化特征的显著性依上述左室构型顺序呈现进行性增强。结论：交感与副交感神经的双重损害参与了高血压的左室重构机制,且其损害程度可能伴随左室重构过程的进行而加重     

左心室向心性肥厚发展与收缩功能

目的与方法：运用Ｍ型超声心动图探讨高血压病向心性脑厚程度与收缩功能的相关关系。方法：收缩功能（心率校正的ＦＳ,ｙ轴）与向心性肥厚程度（左室重量与左室容积之比ＬＶＭ／ＬＶＣＶ,ｘ轴）的呈曲线相关关系,其曲线方程为ｙ＝－３１．１３９ｘ２＋１４６．１９２ｘ１－１３０．４３。ＬＶＭ／ＬＶＣＶ为２．３５时,其心率校正的ＦＳ为最大４１．６３。结论：在心肌肥厚的初期,心肌肥厚使左心室的收缩功能起代偿性增强,当心肌增厚到一定程度时,左室收缩功能随心肌进一步肥厚而呈下降趋势。     

相对室壁厚度对原发性高血压患者左室功能的预测作用

目的采用超声指标评价原发性高血压患者不同左室几何构型的左室功能,探讨相对室壁厚度（RWT）与左室收缩功能和舒张功能的关系。方法利用超声心动图观察24名健康成年人和120例原发性高血压患者,根据RWT和左室重量指数（LVMI）将高血压患者分为四种左室几何构型组,分别以室壁中层缩短率（mFs）及E/A比值来评价左室收缩及舒张功能。应用单因素方差分析比较不同组间各参数的差异,应用多元回归分析分别筛选与mFs及E/A比值独立相关的参数。结果与正常对照组比较、左室正常构型组比较,向心性重构组和向心性肥厚组mFs明显降低（P〈0.01）;在多元回归分析中,RWT分别与mFs和E/A比值独立相关（r2=0.67,P〈0.01;r2=0.27,P〈0.01）。结论原发性高血压患者向心性重构组和向心性肥厚组左室收缩功能和舒张功能受损明显。RWT对原发性高血压患者左室收缩功能和舒张功能具有预测作用。     

老年收缩期高血压左室肥厚与心肌缺血,室性心律失常和心 …

目的：探讨老年收缩期高血压左室肥厚与心肌缺血、心律失常、心衰间的相关性。方法：以动态心电图和超声心动图分别检测６８例老年收缩期高血压左室肥厚（ＨＬＶＨ）患者及３０例老年单纯收缩期高血压（ＳＨＴ）患者的心肌供血、心律和心功能。结果：ＨＬＶＨ组心肌缺血、室性早搏的发生率显著高于ＳＨＴ组;左室收缩功能障碍组ＬＶＥＦ,ＣＩ明显减低;左室舒张功能障碍组二尖瓣舒张早期流速（Ｅ峰）、Ｅ／Ａ、舒张早期减速度显著减     

原发性高血压患者心肌能量消耗水平与左心室重构及收缩功能的相关性

目的探讨多普勒超声指标心肌能量消耗(MEE)评估原发性高血压不同左室构型特点以及左室收缩功能的潜在临床价值。方法选取门诊或住院治疗的106例原发性高血压患者,24例健康人为对照组。用多普勒超声心动图测量心脏结构指标、左室收缩功能常规指标(射血分数、短轴缩短率),应用相关公式计算MEE、左室收缩末周向室壁应力(cESS)、左室质量指数(LVMI)、相对室壁厚度(RWT)。根据LVMI和RWT将高血压患者分为左室正常构型组(22例)、向心性重构组(34例)、向心性肥厚组(26例)和离心性肥厚组(24例);分析各组间左室结构、功能的差异,探讨MEE、cESS与左室结构、功能指标的相关性。结果高血压4组cESS均明显高于对照组,其中离心性肥厚组最高;除向心性重构组外,其余高血压3组MEE均明显高于对照组(均P<0.05),离心性肥厚组MEE最高。相关分析显示:MEE、cESS与左室收缩功能指标以及左心室重构指标均明显相关。结论多普勒超声心动图无创检测原发性高血压患者的MEE水平可反映高血压左室不同构型的心肌生物能量消耗特点;MEE、cESS是评价高血压不同构型左室收缩功能的有效指标。     

高血压患者左室构型改变与心功能的关系

目的探讨高血压患者左心室构型改变对心功能的影响。方法对高血压组164例和正常对照组30名进行常规心脏超声、心脏收缩功能和舒张功能检查。按Gnanu分类法将高血压组划分为正常构型组、向心性重构组、向心性肥厚组和离心性肥厚组。结果 E/A值在正常构型、向心性重构组、向心性肥厚组依次降低,在离心性肥厚组反而增高,舒张早期减速度(EDT)、等容舒张时间(IVRT)在高血压各组无统计学意义(P0.05);左心室短轴缩短率(FS)、左室射血分数(EF)在离心性肥厚组降低;心搏量(SV)、心输出量(CO)在正常构型、向心性重构组中无明显变化,而向心性重构组稍降低,离心性肥厚组稍增加;高血压各组Tei指数较正常对照组增高,在正常构型、向心性重构组、向心性肥厚组和离心性肥厚组呈依次增高,离心性肥厚组的Tei指数最高。结论高血压不同左室构型可引起左室收缩、舒张功能不同程度损害,以舒张功能障碍先于收缩功能障碍。而收缩功能受损以离心性肥厚组为明显。临床上应有效控制其构型的发展可从根本上减少心血管事件的发生率和病死率。     

心肌分层应变技术评价原发性高血压左室壁肥厚病人左心室收缩功能的应用效果

目的探讨超声心动图分层应变技术检测左室射血分数正常左室壁肥厚的原发性高血压病人左心室收缩功能的应用价值。方法选取左室壁肥厚的原发性高血压病人40例为高血压组,健康志愿者28名为对照组。应用分层应变技术测量两组左心室整体收缩期纵向峰值应变及左心室基底段、中段、心尖段的心内膜层、中层及心外膜层心肌收缩期纵向峰值应变,比较两组之间的差异。结果与对照组比较,高血压组收缩压、舒张压、左心房收缩末内径、左心室舒张末内径、室间隔舒张末厚度、左室相对室壁厚度、左室质量指数、二尖瓣口舒张早期血流速度/二尖瓣环舒张早期运动峰值速度(E/e′)升高,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05),年龄、体质指数比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。二维分层应变参数比较,两组心肌各层纵向应变均呈梯度特征,即心内膜层心肌中层心外膜层。与对照组比较,高血压组左心室心肌总体纵向应变心外膜层、心肌中层、心内膜层纵向应变减低(P0.05);高血压组基底段三层心肌纵向均减低(P0.05);中段心外膜层、心肌中层、心内膜层纵向应变减低(P0.05);心尖段心内膜层、心肌中层、心外膜层纵向应变均减低(P0.05)。结论分层应变技术可定量分层评价高血压心肌肥厚病人左室心肌的整体及局部收缩功能,具有一定的临床应用价值。     

高血压左室构型与心功能的关系

目的与方法本文采用二维和Ｍ型超声心动图方法,将２０９例高血压病人的左室构型与心功能进行比较。结果正常左室构型组、向心性重构组中,心功能Ⅰ级的百分比分别为７５．４％和６０．０％,向心性肥厚组及离心性肥厚组心功能Ⅰ级仅占１２．７％和１１．８％;向心性肥厚组左房明显增大（提示左室顺应性下降）,而离心性肥厚组左室收缩功能明显下降。结论临床上对不同的左室构型应采取不同的治疗措施     

高血压左心结构改变与临床心功能分级的关系

本文分析１５０例高血压病人结果提示：高血压引起左心结构的改变有左室肥厚（向心性，偏心性，离心性）及左房扩大。在左室向心性及偏心性肥厚的病人，心功能多为Ⅱ级，以左室舒张功能受损为主，收缩功能正常。而离心性肥厚的病人，心功能为Ⅲ－Ⅳ级，以收缩功能受损为主；单纯左房扩大是高血压早期心脏受累的指标，亦为舒张功能受损，心功能Ⅰ－Ⅱ级。年龄及病程对心功能有一定影响。     

The relation between left ventricular geometric patterns and left ventricular midwall mechanics in hypertensive patients.

To evaluate the alteration of myocardial contractility in hypertensive patients with different left ventricular geometric patterns by the end-systolic stress-midwall fractional shortening relation. Echocardiography was applied to study the left ventricular geometry and cardiac function among 117 cases of essential hypertension, with 45 normal cases as control(s). Left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and relative wall thickness (RWT) were calculated using echocardiographic data. All patients were divided into four kinds of left ventricular geometry pattern based on LVMI and RWT. Patients of the eccentric hypertrophy group suffered the most serious damage of left ventricular systolic function. Myocardial contractility shown by end-systolic stress-midwall fractional shortening relation was significantly decreased in the concentric remodeling group, eccentric hypertrophy group and concentric hypertrophy group, and those with concentric hypertrophy showed the worst contractility. The degree of myocardial contractility damage was different in patients with different left ventricular geometric patterns. Geometric changes may have compensated for the reduction of myocardial contractility in some phases in order to maintain the normal pump function.     

Left ventricular chamber and wall mechanics in the presence of concentric geometry.

BACKGROUND: To test the hypothesis that in the presence of left ventricular concentric geometry the definition of 'normal' ejection fraction should be reconsidered, and normality should rather be considered to have a higher than usual lower limit METHODS: M-mode echocardiographic endocardial shortening (eS) was studied in 148 hypertensive patients with left ventricular concentric geometry (relative wall thickness > or = 0.42), 78 with normal (54 +/- 10 years, 27 women) and 70 with depressed midwall shortening (mS) (53 +/- 10 years, 26 women), based on normal distribution of stress-corrected mS, and compared to a reference adult population of 297 age-matched normal subjects (54 +/- 8 years, 121 women) with eS > or = 28%. RESULTS: Patients with low mS exhibited higher heart rates and body mass indices than control individuals (both P < 0.01); blood pressure, left ventricular mass, relative wall thickness and peripheral resistance were higher than in patients with normal mS, whereas cardiac index was reduced (all P< 0.01). Adjustment for body mass index and race attenuated but did not eliminate the differences between the two groups of patients (0.05 < P < 0.0001). In contrast, eS was higher than normal in patients with normal midwall shortening, whereas was 'normal' in patients with low left ventricular midwall function. More than 80% of patients in the lowest quartile of apparently normal eS exhibited clear-cut low left ventricular midwall function. CONCLUSIONS: 'Normal' left ventricular chamber function in the presence of concentric geometry is associated with depressed midwall performance, more severe left ventricular hypertrophy, lower cardiac output and higher peripheral resistance. 'Normal' eS is the hallmark of normal myocardial function when left ventricular geometry is normal, but should be considered as a marker of systolic dysfunction when associated with concentric left ventricular geometry. Normal limits for eS should be therefore reset to upper values.     

Age-related variations of left ventricular endocardial and midwall function in healthy infants, children, and adolescents.

BACKGROUND: In pediatric age echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular systolic function is usually based on indexes obtained by measurements at the endocardial level. In the presence of ventricular hypertrophy this may lead to an overestimation of systolic function. The aim of this study was to assess the developmental changes of left ventricular systolic mechanics measured at the endocardial and midwall levels. METHODS: In 239 normal subjects divided into six age groups we measured left ventricular end-diastolic volume, mass and mass/volume ratio, fractional shortening, and rate-corrected mean velocity of circumferential shortening at the endocardial and midwall levels. Endocardial meridional end-systolic stress and midwall circumferential end-systolic stress were considered as indexes of afterload. Relations of extent and velocity of fiber shortening to afterload at the endocardial and midwall levels were used to assess left ventricular contractility. RESULTS: Blood pressure, left ventricular afterload, volume and mass increased, whereas the mass/volume ratio remained stable during growth. Fractional shortening and mean velocity of circumferential shortening at the endocardial level decreased and showed an inverse relation to afterload. Midwall fractional shortening and rate-corrected mean velocity of circumferential shortening were lower during the first months and did not change during the first year of life. CONCLUSIONS: Left ventricular volume and mass increase with age, mass/volume ratio remains almost constant while afterload increases. Endocardial systolic function indexes are higher in the first period of life, due to low afterload and increased mass/volume ratio. In the first months of life the left ventricular myocardium shows a greater sensitivity to changes in afterload and a reduced contractility measured at the midwall level.     

Left ventricular systolic and diastolic function after anthracycline chemotherapy in childhood

BACKGROUND: In childhood, late cardiotoxicity is characterized by inappropriately thin wall and consequent increased end-systolic wall stress, but the associations of impaired left ventricular geometry and function occurring under these circumstances need further investigation. HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of this study was to assess anthracycline late effects on the relationships occurring between increased end-systolic stress (ESS) and changes in both M-mode systolic measurements (i.e., endocardial and midwall fractional shortening) and Doppler diastolic indices in the pediatric age. METHODS: The population consisted of 101 children treated with anthracyclines for at least 12 months and 91 healthy children. Using M-mode echocardiography, end-systolic wall stress was calculated as index of afterload, and endocardial and midwall fractional shortening as systolic indices. Doppler transmitral measurements were made as diastolic indices. RESULTS: Patients treated with anthracyclines showed significantly lower relative wall thickness and left ventricular mass index, greater end-systolic wall stress, reduced endocardial and midwall fractional shortening and peak E/A ratio, prolonged deceleration, and isovolumic relaxation times. Direct relationships were found between end-systolic wall stress and both endocardial and midwall shortening. The use of midwall shortening in the relation showed a greater, but not significant increase (from 3 to 6%) in the proportion of patients with depressed systolic function than did endocardial shortening. In the anthracycline group, end-systolic wall stress was also inversely related to relative wall thickness and directly to isovolumic relaxation time. CONCLUSIONS: In childhood, reduced myocardial thickness and increased afterload explain much of systolic and diastolic dysfunction of late anthracycline toxicity. Midwall fractional shortening does not seem to add useful information for identifying subsets of children more prone to the development of heart failure.     

Midwall myocardial shortening in athletic left ventricular hypertrophy

BACKGROUND: Patients with pathological left ventricular hypertrophy have depressed midwall systolic shortening in spite of normal indices of left ventricular chamber function and a reduced midwall function has been observed to be an independent predictor of cardiovascular risk. Whether midwall shortening is depressed in physiological hypertrophy is unknown. METHODS: Forty-two subjects, 27 athletes and 15 age- and sex-matched normal control subjects (group 1) were studied. The athletes were divided into those with eccentric hypertrophy (group 2) and those with concentric hypertrophy (group 3). Systolic left ventricular function was assessed at the midwall and endocardium using two-dimensional echocardiography in all subjects. RESULTS: Left ventricular mass index was significantly greater in both athletic groups than in controls (group 1, 101+/-5.8 g/m(2), group 2, 141+/-11.1*, group 3, 155+/-5.8*; *P<0.01 compared with group 1). Left ventricular systolic function assessed at the endocardium was similar among all three groups (ejection fraction: group 1, 66.2+/-2.38, group 2, 66.8+/-1.44, group 3, 63.7+/-1.66%; endocardial fractional shortening: group 1, 37.1+/-1.71, group 2, 37.6+/-1.13, group 3, 35.1+/-1.25%). However, fractional shortening at the midwall was reduced in the concentric hypertrophy athletes compared with the other two groups (midwall fractional shortening: group 1, 21.9+/-1.1, group 2, 21.9+/-0.86, group 3, 18.4+/-0.96*%; P<0.05 compared with groups 1 and 2). CONCLUSION: Subjects with physiological concentric hypertrophy have depressed midwall fractional shortening. This suggests that the observed discrepancy between midwall and endocardial shortening in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy is likely to be a function of the geometry and not necessarily a reflection of pathology within the myocardium.     

Effect of increased wall thickness on indices of left ventricular pump function in children.

OBJECTIVE--To investigate whether augmented chamber performance in children with a concentric hypertrophied left ventricle is due to increased myocardial shortening or a geometric effect of the thickened ventricular wall. DESIGN--Chamber performance in terms of fractional area change and myocardial shortening--that is, circumferential midwall shortening--were measured by cross sectional echocardiography in young people with normal left ventricles and those with concentric hypertrophy of the left ventricle. PATIENTS--52 healthy infants, children, and young people (age range 3 1/2 weeks to 26 years; body weight 1.8-89 kg (mean 23.6 kg)) and 29 infants, children, and adolescents with ventricular hypertrophy (mean body weight 31.4 kg, age range 4 weeks to 18.7 years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Chamber areas, fractional area change, midwall circumferential shortening normalised to body weight. RESULTS--In the controls normalised reference values were: end diastolic cavity area, 1.47 (0.25) cm2/kg0.65; fractional area change, 0.56 (0.03); end diastolic myocardial area, 1.62 (0.25) cm2/kg0.55; midwall circumferential shortening, 0.21 (0.03). By comparison, the patients had normal chamber areas (end diastolic myocardial area, 1.57 (0.42) cm2/kg0.65), increased fractional area change, 0.68 (0.05) (P < 0.001), and normal midwall circumferential shortening, 0.21 (0.03). There was a significant relation between the degree of hypertrophy (in terms of end diastolic myocardial area) and pump function while midwall shortening remained constant: 0.08 x end diastolic myocardial area + 0.44 (r = 0.74, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS--The relation between myocardial shortening, wall thickness, and fractional area change emphasises that the augmentation of pump function variables in left ventricular hypertrophy in young people is an effect of the thickened wall and not necessarily due to increased myocardial shortening. This relation offers the possibility of assessing the adequacy of chamber performance with respect to the degree of hypertrophy.     

Left ventricular mass and systolic dysfunction in essential hypertension

A relation between left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and depressed midwall systolic function has been described in hypertensive subjects. However, a strong confounding factor in this relation is concentric geometry, which is both a powerful determinant of depressed midwall systolic function and a correlate of LV mass in hypertension. To evaluate the independent contribution of LV mass to depressed systolic function, 1827 patients with never-treated essential hypertension (age 48 +/- 12 years, men 58%) underwent M-mode echocardiography under two-dimensional guidance. Relative wall thickness was the strongest determinant of low midwall fractional shortening (r = -0.63, P < 0.0001). The significant inverse relation observed between LV mass and midwall fractional shortening (r = -0.43, P < 0.0001) persisted after taking into account the effect of relative wall thickness (partial r = -0.27, P < 0.0001). Within each sex-specific quintile of relative wall thickness, prevalence of subnormal afterload-corrected midwall systolic function was greater in subjects with, than in subjects without, LV hypertrophy (P < 0.05 for the first, third, fourth and fifth quintile). In a multiple linear regression analysis, both LV mass (P < 0.0001) and relative wall thickness (P < 0.0001) were independent predictors of a reduced midwall fractional shortening. In conclusion, the inverse association between LV mass and midwall systolic function is partly independent from the effect of relative wall thickness. LV hypertrophy is a determinant of subclinical LV dysfunction independently of the concomitant changes in chamber geometry.     

Left ventricular adaptation to hypertension and plasma renin activity

Chronic pressure and volume overload result in morphologically and functionally distinct forms of myocardial hypertrophy. In essential hypertension, the respective effect of these factors on the morphology of the left ventricle remains unknown. In the present study, we hypothesised that activity of the renin angiotensin system (assessed by plasma renin activity) may be associated to the variability of the left ventricular adaptation to essential hypertension. To assess this relation, we categorised by echocardiography 333 never-treated hypertensive patients, according to values of left ventricular mass and relative wall thickness. Higher systolic and pulse arterial pressure was strongly associated with concentric left ventricular hypertrophy (27% of hypertensives). When compared to the normal left ventricle group, patients with eccentric left ventricular hypertrophy (15% of hypertensives) had a high cardiac index (5 +/- 1 vs 4 +/- 0.8 L/min/m2; P = 0.0001), a lower basal plasma renin activity (0.81 +/- 0.63 vs 1.45 +/- 1.3 ng/ml/h; P = 0.02) and similar mean values of left ventricular performance and glomerular filtration rate. A tendency for depressed myocardial contractility assessed by the midwall shortening/end-systolic stress was associated with concentric left ventricular remodelling and hypertrophy when compared to hypertensive with a normal left ventricle. In conclusion, at the early phase of essential hypertension, in patients without renal dysfunction, each anatomic pattern of cardiac adaptation to hypertension was associated with a distinct profile of haemodynamics, myocardial function and activity of the renin-angiotensin system. Journal of Human Hypertension (2000) 14, 181-188.     

Relations of longitudinal left ventricular systolic function to left ventricular mass, load, and Doppler stroke volume.

AIMS: To evaluate whether the peak systolic velocities of the displacement of the lateral mitral anulus (Sa) and of the mid-portion of the interventricular septal wall (Sm) correlate with measures of left ventricular load, left ventricular mass, and Doppler stroke volume in normotensive and hypertensive subjects without clinically overt cardiovascular disease. METHODS AND RESULTS: Tissue Doppler imaging was used to evaluate Sa and Sm in apical 4-chamber view; standard echocardiographic procedures were used to assess left ventricular structure and traditional parameters of systolic function (ejection fraction, stress-corrected midwall shortening, meridional and circumferential end-systolic stress); pulsed Doppler was employed to evaluate stroke volume. In 87 subjects meeting inclusion criteria, Sa and Sm were not significantly correlated either with left ventricular end-diastolic volume and end-systolic stress, or with stroke volume; in contrast, endocardial and midwall fractional shortening were lower with higher afterload, as expected. Fractional shortening at endocardium and midwall, and Sm were lower with higher left ventricular mass. Mean Sa and Sm values were lower in subjects with low vs. those with normal stress-corrected midwall shortening, but low Sa was not associated with lower stress-corrected midwall shortening in our study sample. CONCLUSIONS: While Sa and Sm might be indices of longitudinal left ventricular systolic mechanics, they should not be considered as measures of left ventricular contractility alternative to well-established parameters of systolic function, such as stress-corrected midwall shortening, in subjects at rest without overt heart disease.     

Assessment of left ventricular function by the midwall fractional shortening/end-systolic stress relation in human hypertension

Objectives. This study examined left ventricular performance in relatively unselected hypertensive patients by use of physiologically appropriate midwall shortening/end-systolic stress relations.Background. Supranormal left ventricular function has been reported in hypertensive patients, possibly due to an artifact of mismatching endocardial rather than midwall fractional shortening to mean left ventricular end-systolic stress.Methods. Samples of 474 hypertensive patients (150 women, 324 men) and 140 normal subjects (68 women, 72 men) were drawn from a large urban employed population. The inverse relations (p < 0.0001) of both echocardiographic endocardial and midwall fractional shortening to end-systolic stress in normal subjects were used to calculate the ratios of observed to predicted endocardial and midwall fractional shortening in hypertensive patients. Midwall shortening was calculated from an elliptic model, taking into account the epicardial migration of the midwall during systole.Results. Use of midwall fractional shortening in hypertensive patients reduced the proportion of patients with function above the 95th percentile of normal from 22% to 4% (p < 0.0001) and fractional shortening as a percent of predicted from 107% (p < 0.001 vs. 100% in normotensive control subjects) to 95% (p < 0.0001; p < 0.001 vs. 101% in normotensive control subjects). Midwall shortening was below the 5th percentile of normal in 16% of hypertensive patients instead of 2% with endocardial shortening (p < 0.0001): They tended to be older than other hypertensive patients and had concentric left ventricular hypertrophy. Among hypertensive patients, these with concentric left ventricular hypertrophy or remodeling had reduced midwall shortening as a percent of predicted from end-systolic stress (p < 0.0001).Conclusions. Use of the physiologically more appropriate mid-wall shortening/end-systolic stress relation 1) markedly reduces the proportion of hypertensive subjects identified as having high endocardial left ventricular functions; and 2) identifies a substantial subgroup of patients with reduced left ventricular function who have concentric geometry of the left ventricle, a pattern associated with high cardiovascular risk.