What are the atrial electrical and structural changes associated with longstanding hypertension in humans?
Longstanding hypertension with LVH leads to atrial electrical and structural remodeling, providing an electrophysiological substrate for atrial fibrillation.
Chronically treated systemic HT with LVH is accompanied by atrial remodeling characterized by: (i) global conduction slowing, (ii) regional conduction delay particularly at the crista terminalis, and (iii) increased AF inducibility. These changes may in part be responsible for the increased propensity to AF associated with systemic HT.
Medi et al. (Thu,) studied this question.