Abstract EP29: Sex Differences In Anxiety Associated With Left Ventricular Hypertrophy And Transmural Dispersion Of Repolarization In Hypertensive Patients

Background: Previous studies showed that hypertensive with anxiety have a higher mean left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and QTc dispersion. This study explores the associations between anxiety and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) as well as transmural dispersion of repolarization (TDR) (as detected by T peak-T end interval/QT interval, Tp-Te/QT ratio) in hypertensive patients. Methods: A total of 353 uncomplicated hypertensive patients were enrolled at Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital from 2017 to 2021. All enrolled subjects completed the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA). HAM-A score ≥14 was defined as the presence of anxiety. The association between HAM-A and hypertensive LVH was estimated with logistic regression models. The association between HAM-A score and Tp-Te/QT was estimated with linear regression model (adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, creatinine, uric acid, triglyceride, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol). This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital and performed in keeping with the requirements of the Declaration of Helsinki. Results: Participants were divided into two groups according to anxiety or not. The LVMI was significantly higher in hypertensive patients with anxiety than hypertensive patients without anxiety (no anxiety: 84.36±23.82, anxiety: 105.75±25.45, g/m 2 , P <0.001). The HAM-A score was positive correlated with LVMI (r=0.578, P <0.001) and Tp-Te/QT (r=0.252, P <0.001). In logistic regression models, hypertensive patients with anxiety had a higher risk of hypertensive LVH than hypertensive patients without anxiety (unadjusted OR, 2.86, 95% CI, 1.65-4.93, P <0.001; adjusted OR, 2.62, 95% CI, 1.49-4.64, P <0.001). Linear regression analysis also showed that HAM-A score was associated with Tp-Te/QT ratio (unadjusted β, 0.002, 95% CI, 0.001-0.002, P <0.001; adjusted β, 0.002, 95% CI, 0.001-0.002, P <0.001). There was an interaction between sex and anxiety in regard to LVH risk ( P for interaction = 0.035) and increased Tp-Te/QT ( P for interaction = 0.014). After stratification by sex, the anxiety group had a higher risk of hypertensive LVH than no anxiety group in male (unadjusted OR, 5.73, 95% CI, 2.43-13.50, P <0.001; adjusted OR, 5.39, 95% CI, 2.13-13.66, P <0.001) but not in female (unadjusted OR, 1.70, 95% CI, 0.82-3.53, P =0.152; adjusted: OR, 1.62, 95% CI, 0.76-3.45, P =0.209) hypertensive patients. HAM-A score was also associated with Tp-Te/QT ratio in male (unadjusted β, 0.003, 95% CI, 0.002-0.004, P <0.001; adjusted β, 0.003, 95% CI, 0.001-0.004, P <0.001) but not in female (unadjusted β, 0.001, 95% CI, -0.0001-0.002, P =0.061; adjusted β, 0.001, 95% CI, -0.0001-0.002, P =0.086). Conclusion: Our data indicated that anxiety is associated with LVH and increased TDR in male but not female hypertensive patients.