Arterial hypertension is a risk factor of left ventricular hypertrophy, ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Late ventricular potentials are the electric manifestation of an arrhythmogenic substrate. They identify patients threatened with ventricular tachycardia and sudden cardiac death. The objective of the work was to assess the prevalence of late ventricular potentials in patients with essential arterial hypertension and to assess the relationship of their occurrence with the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy and complex ventricular arrhythmias. Late ventricular potentials were detected in 8% patients with arterial hypertension, 68% had left ventricular hypertrophy; complex ventricular arrhythmias were found in 18% patients during Holter monitoring and in 14% patients during bicycle ergometry. Comparison of patients with positive and negative late ventricular potentials did not reveal differences in the incidence of left ventricular hypertrophy and complex ventricular arrhythmias. The only significant difference were more frequent ventricular ectopic contractions in patients with late ventricular potentials. Investigation of late ventricular potentials obviously will not be part of the standard examination in patients with arterial hypertension without syncope or malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmia.

Keywords: Adult; Aged; Arrhythmias, Cardiac /diagnosis/; Electrocardiography; Female; Humans; Hypertension /complications/; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular /etiology/; Male; Middle Aged; Ventricular Function