In an attempt to compare the incidence of abnormal liver function tests in 35 hypertensive patients with and without heart failure, conventional liver function studies (BSP, SGOT, Alkaline phosphatase and biopsy) and sorbitol tolerance test(STT) were performed.
1. In sex ratio, male was prevalent then female with a ratio of 3.4 : 1, and the highest incidence was observed in the sixth decade.
2. The incidences of the abnormal liver function tests was 20% in BSP, 17% in alkaline phosphatase, 17% in SGOT and 71% in STT inpatients without congestive heart failure, while it was 50% in BSP, 54% in alkaline´phosphatase, 9% in SGOT and 80% in STT in patients with complication of congestive heart failure. The STT showed the highest incidence of the abnormalities in both groups.
The incidences of the abnormal BSP and alkaline phosphatase findings were increased in the complicated group, and they were correlated with the degree of congestive heart failure. The incidence of the abbormal STT was higher in both groups and was not correlated with the degree of congestive heart failure, but it was correlated with the findings of the liver biopsy.
3. The degree or duration of hypertension, and the findings of optic fundi, ECG and chest x-ray could not to be correlated with the STT findings.
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