Sex-specific determinants of increased left ventricular mass in the Tecumseh Blood Pressure Study.

Abstract

Before the onset of hypertension, increased LVMI appears to have different determinants in men and women. We suggest that early LVH in young men is a manifestation of hyperkinetic borderline hypertension, a state previously shown to be associated with increased sympathetic nervous system activity and insulin resistance. The hyperkinetic state is less prevalent in young women, in whom increased adiposity seems to be the predominant factor associated with LVH.