Introduction: Hypertension as a chronic cardiovascular disease, has major impact on global mortality and morbidity around the world. The effect of hypertension on human body is still under research. The present article emphasize the different effects of exercise on echocardiographic characteristics of healthy and hypertensive patients. Material and methods: Patients who were aged between 16 to 50 years and referred for stress echocardiography during the one year period enrolled in present case control study. The participants were grouped according to their blood pressure status to hypertensive or normotensive patients. The stress echocardiography was performed according to Bruce protocol and the exercise was performed on a treadmill. Parasternal long axis, para sternal short axis, apical 4 chamber and apical 2 chamber view were evaluated for each patient. Echocardiographic variables regarding ventricular functions, diastolic parameters, PAP as well as right and left atrium area and volume were evaluated according to the recent cardiology guidelines. After completing the stress echocardiography, and reaching the target heart rate of 85%, the mentioned variables have recorded again for all patient when the heart rate fall between 100 and 110 beat per minute. Results: Most of the participants were female and the mean ± standard deviation of age was 44.72±.9.74 years. Exercise increased the E, Em, LAEF and E/e in hypertensive and also E, Em and LAEF among control groups (P=0.001 for all). E, A, STV, ETV and RAEF values were significantly increased in both hypertensive and control groups after exercise (P=0.001 for all). Also, after exercise, LA volume decreased in both groups (P=0.012). The LAEF at rest was significantly higher in control group and increased significantly by exercise in both groups (P=0.001 for all). Among hypertensive group after exercise only RA volume reduced significantly (P=0.002). RAEF in control group was greater than hypertensive group at rest and this parameter increase significantly in both groups after exercise (P=0.001 for all). Conclusion: The present study revealed that healthy patients at rest have fewer E/A ratio of mitral valve, right and left atrial volume while right and left atrial function were greater. In both groups after exercise, Em, ET, STV, LAEF and RAEF increases while the changes in Sm is not statistically significant.
