Hypertension is a major risk factor of various cardiac complications, including hypertensive heart disease (HHD). This condition can lead to a number of structural and functional changes in the heart, such as left ventricular hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction, and, eventually, systolic dysfunction. In the management of hypertensive heart disease, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are crucial for preventing the progression to congestive heart failure. One potential diagnostic marker that has gained attention in recent years is the N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). The natriuretic peptides, including the brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and its inactive N-terminal fragment, are secreted by the myocardium in response to increased wall stress and volume overload. In patients with hypertensive heart disease, increased NT-proBNP levels may reflect the structural and functional changes occurring in the myocardium as a result of chronic pressure overload. Several studies have investigated the diagnostic utility of NT-proBNP in hypertensive heart disease. NT-proBNP levels can be a useful adjunct in the diagnosis of hypertensive heart disease, particularly in the assessment of diastolic dysfunction and left ventricular hypertrophy. This review paper explores the role of NT-proBNP levels in the diagnosis of hypertensive heart disease.

The assessment of left and right ventricular systolic function is vital information for the management of cardiac disease. Everyday clinical practice has traditionally relied on the measurement of the ejection fraction (EF). Nonetheless, EF has known limitations and may not always accurately reflect myocardial systolic performance. Intrinsic myocardial contractility may decline long before reductions in left or right ventricular EF become apparent. Adjunct parameters such as tissue Doppler-derived systolic velocities of the mitral and tricuspid annulus may detect such early abnormalities; however, they do not represent global systolic performance. Consequently, commonly used indices may exhibit suboptimal performance for the detection of systolic dysfunction. Given the limitations of current measurement methods, there is growing concern about the reliability of heart failure (HF) classification based solely on EF. The integration of advanced echocardiographic indices, such as speckle-tracking-derived strain, three-dimensional (3D) volumetric assessment, myocardial work (MW), and cardiac power output (CPO), in combination with classical parameters provides more accurate, reproducible, and clinically meaningful diagnostic and prognostic information in patients with HF. Nevertheless, despite their potential, these techniques remain underutilized in routine practice. Early identification of systolic dysfunction and timely initiation of therapy can substantially improve clinical outcomes. In this setting, this review aims to comprehensively examine both established and emerging echocardiographic techniques used for the assessment of ventricular systolic performance, with the objective of promoting their effective integration into routine clinical practice.

Hypertension is a major risk factor of various cardiac complications, including hypertensive heart disease. This condition can lead to a number of structural and functional changes in the heart, such as left ventricular hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction, and eventually, systolic dysfunction. In the management of hypertensive heart disease, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are crucial to prevent the progression to congestive heart failure. One potential diagnostic marker that has gained attention in recent years is the N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of NT-proBNP levels in the diagnosis of hypertensive heart disease.