[Hypertension and the progression of organ damage].
The heart is one of the most important targets of arterial hypertension to which this organ responds with the development of left ventricular hypertrophy. This structural alteration, which is rather frequent already in the early stages of hypertension, derives from a complex interaction of hemodynamic and humoral factors and represents a compensatory mechanism for maintaining a normal cardiac output in spite of the elevated peripheral resistance; yet, with time, left ventricular hypertrophy exposes patients to an additive risk of ischemia, dysrhythmias and cardiac failure. However the progression towards these clinical manifestations of cardiac deterioration is susceptible nowadays to be halted thanks to the efficacy of antihypertensive drugs and particularly of those antagonizing the activity of the renin-angiotensin system.
Morganti
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Istituto di Clinica Medica e Terapia Medica Generale, Centro di Fisiologia Clinica e Ipertensione, Università degli Studi, Ospedale Maggiore IRCCS, Milano. aldamorg@tin.it
D018450:Disease Progression; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors