The connection between late ventricular potentials and ventricular arrhythmias in hypertension patients with different forms of myocardial hypertrophy

AIM: To estimate the incidence of late ventricular potentials (LVP) and their implication in cardiac arrhythmia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 53 patients with blood hypertension stage II (mean age 50 +/- 1 years) having symmetric (n = 23) and asymmetric (n = 15) left ventricular hypertrophy as well as 15 patients free of hypertrophy underwent conventional 12-lead ECG, Holter monitoring, echocardiography and late potentials (LP) recording using signal-averaged high resolution ECG. RESULTS: LP occurred more often in asymmetric myocardial hypertrophy than in symmetric one. There was no strong correlation between LP and ventricular arrhythmias except patients with symmetric myocardial hypertrophy. CONCLUSION: In patients with hypertension stage II late potentials seem to arise due to increased hypertrophic myocardium depolarization time, myocardial fibrosis and local intramural blockades.