Congestive heart failure, coronary events and atherothrombotic brain infarction in elderly blacks and whites with systemic hypertension and with and without echocardiographic and electrocardiographic evidence of left ventricular hypertrophy

Hypertension was present in 50% of 196 blacks and in 36% of 382 whites (p < 0.001). A prospective study of 84 elderly blacks (70% women) and 326 elderly whites (73% women) with hypertension correlated echocardiographic and etectrocardiographic left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy with incidences of congestive heart failure (CHF), coronary events and atherothrombotic brain infarction (ABI). Echocardiographic LV hypertrophy (p < 0.02) and concentric LV hypertrophy (p < 0.001) were more prevalent in hypertensive blacks than in hypertensive whites. Hypertensive blacks were younger (78 ± 9 years) than hypertensive whites (82 ± 7 years) (p < 0.001). Other coronary risk factors were similar, except for higher serum triglycerides in whites than in blacks (p < 0.02). Follow-up was 37 ± 18 months in blacks and 43 ± 18 months in whites (p < 0.01). Incidences of CHF and coronary events were not significantly different in blacks and whites. ABI incidence was 38% in blacks and 21% in whites (p < 0.005). Multiple logistic regression analysis snowed that prior CHF (p = 0.000), concentric LV hypertrophy (p = 0.018) and echocardiographk LV hypertrophy (p = 0.022) were independent risk factors for CHF. Echocardiographic LV hypertrophy (p = 0.001), serum total cholesterol (p = 0.002), concentric LV hypertrophy (p = 0.005) and prior coronary artery disease (p = 0.042) were independent risk factors for coronary events. Prior ABI (p = 0.001), echocardiographic LV hypertrophy (p = 0.001) and electrocardiographic LV hypertrophy (p = 0.034) were independent risk factors for ABI.