Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and increased common carotid artery intimamedia thickness (IMT) are known target organ damages of hypertension. However, the relation between LVH and carotid artery IMT is not well defined in Korea. Thus, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the association of common carotid artery IMT and luminal diameter (LD) with LVH (LV mass) in patients with hypertension.

LV mass was measured by echocardiography and IMT and LD of right and left common carotid artery were measured by high resolution ultrasound in non-hypertensive subjects (n=24), patients with known hypertension without LVH (n=22) and hypertension with LVH (n=22). Data obtained were adjusted statistically for age.

Mean IMT (in mm) were 0.51±0.12 in non-hypertension group, 0.61±0.09 in hypertension without LVH group and 0.73±0.13 in hypertension with LVH group (age adjusted p<0.0001 by ANCOVA). Mean systolic and diastolic IMT/LD ratios were 0.077±0.015 and 0.089±0.018 in non-hypertensive group, 0.052±0.015 and 0.09±0.014 in hypertension without LVH group, and 0.085±0.015 and 0.104±0.022 in hypertension with LVH group (p=0.063 for systolic ratio and 0.137 for diastolic ratio).

These findings suggest that there is a significant correlation between carotid artery intima-media thickness and LVH in hypertensio.