Objective To evaluate the contractility of left ventricule due to cardiac remodeling in hypertension by meansof maximum myocardial stiffness(maxEav). Method The end-systolic and end-diastolic dimension of left ventricule, leftventricular mass index (LVMI) , relative wall thickness (RWT) , ejection fraction(EF) and short-axis shorting fraction(FS)were measured by echocardiography in 96 patients with essential hypertension and 30 normal subjects.Left ventriculeend-systolic pressure was evaluated by sphygmomanometer. Essential hypertensions were divided into groups with LVnormal geometric patterns,LV concentric remodeling patterns,LV concentric hypertrophy patterns and LV eccentrichypertrophy patterns according to the LVMI and RWT. Maximum myocardial stiffness(maxEav)was calculated by usingof echocardiographic measurements. Result ① There were not significant differcences of LV systolic functionbetween control group and hypertension groups (P>0.05); ② maxEav of hypertension patients was significantly largerthan that of control group(P<0.01 ); but there were not differences between hypertension groups (P>0.05). ConclusionMaximum myocardial stiffness maxEav derived by echocardiography is noninvasive method and worthful for evaluatingthe biomechanical characteristic of LV remodeling due to hypertension.