The evaluation of ventricular arrhythmia risk by using electrocardiographic parameters in patients with dipper and non-dipper hypertension

Aim: Non-dipper hypertension (NDHT) is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality. Lots of different electrocardiographic parameters can be used for this purpose. Some electrocardiographic repolarization parameters and some particular parameters obtained from 24 hours holter recordings frequently were used. The aim of this study was to evaluate ventricular arrhythmia risk by using most of this electrocardiographic parameters in patients with dipper hypertension (DHT) and NDHT.Material and methods: 220 patients with hypertension were included this study. Patients were divided into two groups as DHT and NDHT according to the 24 hours ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Two groups were compared with electrocardiography and echocardiography parameters and also were compared with heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate turbulence (HRT) parameters.Results: There were no significant differences between DHT and NDHT groups with regard to demographic and laboratory datas. Also echocardiography parameters normally distributed and have no significant differences between two groups. There were no significant differences between DHT and NDHT groups with regard to left ventricular mass index (p=0.280). Although QT, QT dispersion, HRV and HRT parameters differences were not statistically significant , results were in favour of DHT in terms of ventricular arrhythmia risk. Conclusion: When hypertensive patients having no statistically significant differences in terms of left ventricular diamaters and left ventricular mass between them were divided as DHT and NDHT; there were no statistically significant differences between two groups with regard to electrocardiographic ventricular arrhythmia parameters although results were in favour of DHT.