Objective:To explore whether phonocardiogram exercise test(PCGET) or doppler echocardiography can sensitively and specifically detect the changes of cardiac reserve in patients with hypertension and whether there is a relationship between the two methods.Methods:The trail was performed with eighty volunteers

including twenty healthy persons as control group

and sixty hypertensive patients

which were divided into three subgroups:hypertension A

HA(patients without left ventricular hypertrophy

LVH and enlarged left ventricle);hypertension B

HB(patients with only LVH) and hypertension C

HC(patients with both LVH and enlarged left ventricle).The cardiac contractility reserve index(CCRI) was measured by PCGET

while the value of LV end-systolic and end-diastolic long and short axis dimensions

wall thickness and synchronous blood pressure were measured by the technique of simultaneous screen display of electrocardiography and synchronously monitoring blood pressure.According to the parameters measured by the latter technique

the values of maximum elasticity(Emax)

the average maximum myocardial elasticity stiffness(maxEav) and ejection fraction(EF)were calculated by computer programmed process.Results:(1)Compared with control group

there was a statistically significant difference between the hypertension groups except HA group

and also an obvious difference between HB and HC about the indexes of Emax

maxEav and EF(P<0.05).There was a significant difference both between the all hypertension groups in comparison with control group and between three hypertension groups About CCRI(P< 0.01).(3)There was a positive correlation between CCRI and Emax

maxEav and EF(P<0.01).Conclusions:(1)CCRI

Emax

maxEav and EF can all reflect the decrease of cardiac reserve in hypertensive patients.(2)PCGET may be more sensitively than Doppler echocardiography in reveal the impairment of cardiac reserve in the early hypertension.