Abstract: Objective The purpose of this study is to investigate the alterations of left ventricular function in patients with acute hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage by way of echocardiography and plasma BNP concentration determination and to shed light on the mechanism and to provide the basis for preventing and treating cardiac impairment caused by acute cerebral hemorrhage.Methods Thirty patients with acute hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage within 24 hours having been diagnosed by clinical manifestations and head computed tomography were recruited.All enrolled patients had no history of heart diseases and no complications such as cardiac insufficiency and arrhythmia.Twenty sex and age matched patients with essential hypertension were selected as controls.All patients and controls underwent echocardiographic investigation and at the same time blood was drawn for the quantitative determination of plasma BNP concentration.Results 1) The mean of LVEF in cerebral hemorrhage group was much lower than those in the hypertension group(41.33±15.03)% vs(59.20±15.03)%,P<0.01;2) The correlation coefficient between volume of cerebral hemorrhage and plasma BNP concentration in cerebral hemorrhage group was 0.13(P>0.05).There was no correlation between volume of cerebral hemorrhage and all cardiac functional parameters in cerebral hemorrhage group(P>0.05).There was no correlation between plasma BNP concentration and cardiac structural and functional parameters in cerebral hemorrhage group(P>0.05).Conclusion Acute cerebral hemorrhage can cause left ventricular systolic dysfunction and can cause left ventricular diastolic dysfunction as well.There is no correlation between the volume of cerebral hemorrhage and all cardiac functional parameters.There is no correlation between the BNP concentration and changes in cardiac structural and functional parameters.

Key words: cerebral hemorrhage, echocardiography, left ventricular function, brain natriuretic peptide