Frequency of Diastolic Dysfunction Diagnosed with Echocardiogram Among Hypertensive Patients
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Background: Hypertension is a major global risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is closely associated with structural and functional cardiac alterations, including left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, which may develop before the onset of overt heart failure. Early detection of such subclinical abnormalities is essential for timely intervention and improved cardiovascular outcomes. Objective: To determine the frequency of diastolic dysfunction diagnosed by echocardiography among hypertensive patients and to assess its distribution across demographic and clinical variables. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Cardiology, Shaikh Zahid Bin Al Nayyan Institute of Cardiology, Quetta, from December 2024 to December 2025. A total of 150 hypertensive patients were enrolled using consecutive non-probability sampling. All participants underwent clinical evaluation and Doppler echocardiography for assessment of diastolic function. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0, with categorical variables expressed as frequencies and percentages and associations assessed using the chi-square test, considering p < 0.05 as statistically significant. Results: Diastolic dysfunction was identified in 69 out of 150 patients, yielding a prevalence of 46.0%. A significant association was observed between age and diastolic dysfunction (p = 0.001), with the highest prevalence in the 41–50-year age group. Male patients demonstrated a significantly higher prevalence compared to females (56.7% vs 30.0%, p = 0.002). Body mass index was also significantly associated with diastolic dysfunction (p = 0.005), although the distribution was non-linear across categories. Conclusion: Diastolic dysfunction is highly prevalent among hypertensive patients and shows significant variation across age, sex, and body mass index categories. These findings highlight the importance of echocardiographic evaluation for early detection of subclinical cardiac dysfunction in hypertensive populations.
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