Arterial hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy - Actual aspects

Both arterial hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) hold significance in scientific papers, research workshops and are of striking importance in the practical work of the general practitioner. A number of specialities deal with clinical hypertensiology, a field in which the general practitioner and the internist are mainly involved in diagnosis and therapy. The prevalence of arterial hypertension amounts to about 15-20% of the total population, and for LVH 1-5%, up to 50% in hypertensives. There is a certain rule saying that 1/3 of all hypertensive subjects elevated blood pressure is not detected, 1/3 is detected but insufficiently treated, while the last third undergo adequate therapy; this figure for LVH is 2/3 : 1/6 : 1/6. On the other hand it must be said that not all individuals under antihypertensive medication suffer from permanent arterial hypertension; this latter statement is born out by self-control blood pressure and 24-hour blood pressure monitoring. Due to the wide variety of antihypertensive agents the necessity arises to keep up to the latest state of art in this field. In this-brief review some striking aspects dealing with elevated blood pressure and hypertensive heart disease are described by a clinical cardiologist although leaving room for further investigation.