Hypertensive heart disease and microangiopathy

Abstract

Cardiac alterations in patients with arterial hypertension comprise the manifestation of stenosis in epicardial arteries, disease of coronary resistive vessels, prothrombotic changes and endothelial dysfunction, pronounced perivascular and interstitial fibrosis, left ventricular hypertrophy, dilatation of the left atrium, increased sympathetic drive and degeneration of aortic valve. These alterations leads to the major clinical manifestations of hypertensive heart disease, that are symptoms of reduced coronary conductance, left ventricular hypertrophy, diastolic and systolic dysfunction with or without left ventricular enlargement and arrhythmia. Different non-invasive and invase procedures are available for screening and follow up of patients with hypertensive heart disease. The primary therapeutic target is, apart from lowering blood pressure, to reverse cardiac manifestations of arterial hypertension using specific therapeutic algorithms.