Association of left bundle branch block with left ventricular structure and function in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy: the LIFE study

Electrocardiographic (ECG) left bundle branch block (LBBB) is associated with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), but its relation to left ventricular (LV) geometry and function in hypertensive patients with ECG LVH is unknown. Echocardiograms were performed in 933 patients (548 women, mean age 66±7 years) with essential hypertension and LVH by baseline ECG in the Losartan Intervention For Endpoint reduction in hypertension (LIFE) study. LBBB, defined by Minnesota code 7.1, was present in 47 patients and absent in 886 patients. Patients with and without LBBB were similar in age, gender, body mass index, blood pressure, prevalence of diabetes, and history of myocardial infarction. Despite similarly elevated mean LV mass (126±25 vs 124±26 g/m 2 ) and relative wall thickness (0.41±0.07 vs 0.41±0.07, P =NS), patients with LBBB had lower LV fractional shortening (30±6 vs 34±6%), ejection fraction (56±10 vs 61±8%), midwall shortening (14±2 vs 16±2%), stress-corrected midwall shortening (90±13 vs 97±13%) (all P