Abstract： Objective To study the cardiac function in patients with essential hypertension(EH)by pulse wave examination technology.Methods Totally 106 patients with EH were studied by pulse wave examination technology.They were divided according to blood pressure level into mild,moderate and high blood pressure group.Sixty-two subjeccts with normal were studied as controls.Results Stroke volume [(114±25)ml,(117±24)ml,(111 ±21)ml,(112 ±31)ml compared with (95 ±25)ml],cardiac index [(5.1 ±0.9)L/min · m2,(5.2 ±0.8)L/min · m2,(5.4 ±0.8)L/min · m2,(4.8 ±0.8)L/min · m2 compared with(4.6 ± 1.0)L/min · m2],left ventricular end diastolic pressure [(18 ±7)mm Hg(1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa),(15 ±6)mm Hg,(20 ±4)mm Hg,(20 ±8)mm Hg compared with(12 ±4)mm Hg],pulmonary artery wedge pressure [(18 ± 7)mm Hg,(15 ± 6)mm Hg,(20 ±4)mm Hg,(20 ±8)mm Hg compared with(12 ±4)mm Hg],mean artery pressure [(131 ± 16)mm Hg,(119 ±6)mm Hg,(132 ±8)mm Hg,(151 ± 13)mm Hg compared with(95 ± 11)mm Hg],pulmonary artery pressure [(30±11)mm Hg,(26 ± 10)mm Hg,(33 ±7)mm Hg,(34± 13)mm Hg compared with(20 ±7)mm Hg],deoxidize blood viscosity [(4.33 ±0.94)mPa · s,(4.10 ±0.85)mPa · s,(3.95 ±0.69)mPa · s,(5.08 ±0.90)mPa · s compared with(3.76 ± 0.73)mPa · s] and other indexes of cardiac function were all significantly higher in EH patients than those in controls (P ＜ 0.05).Artery flexibility expansion coefficient [(0.65 ± 0.34),(0.68 ± 0.35),(0.57 ± 0.22),(0.66 ± 0.40)compared with (0.49 ± 0.28)],artery compliance [(1.10 ± 0.31),(1.30 ±0.29),(0.94 ± 0.15),(0.90 ± 0.23)compared with (1.39 ± 0.21)] and the indexes of artery stiffness degree were all significantly worse in EH patients (P＜0.01).Conclusion Pulse wave examination technology can offer useful parameters for cartiac function in patients with EH.