Recent advances in cardiac hypertrophy

Introduction evolution of the process toward dysfunction and failure.Furthermore, some new attempts to modify the conse-In 1977 Sen, Tarazi and Bumpus in a brief article in quence of myocardial hypertrophy or to prevent myocyte Cardiovascular Research discussed the variable effects cell loss will be also examined to document the difficulties obtained with anti-hypertensive therapy on cardiac hy-that we are still facing more than 20 years after the pioneer pertrophy and its regression 1.Having the aim of study of Sen at al. 1.A complete review of the argument, intervening with medical treatment on cardiac hypertrophy however, is beyond the aim of this article.the authors attained results quite different from the expected one.Although this event is very common in research the authors were able to take advantage from the 2. Definition discrepancy suggesting new hypotheses, possible explanations and innovating conclusions.They found that in Since cardiac hypertrophy is a condition in which spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR), an animal model that myocardial mass is increased beyond the normal range, the mimics essential hypertension in humans, the vasodilator establishment of normal and abnormal limits is needed in a-methyldopa was able to reduce blood pressure, renin order to define the presence and the degree of this disease.activity and reverse cardiac hypertrophy, whereas minox-Anatomical studies (Figs. 1 and2) have demonstrated that idil another vasodilator reduced blood pressure, increased the upper limit of a normal heart is 450 g in men and 400 g heart weight and renin activity.Finally, beta blockade not in women 2.These values, however, must be corrected affecting blood pressure, reduced cardiac mass and renin for epicardial fat, body mass and age 2.In both genders, activity.These results highlighted the uncertainty in the left ventricular myocardial weight to body height ratio relation between cardiac hypertrophy, arterial blood pressure levels and renin, implying that blood pressure 'may not be the sole factor for the development and reversal of cardiac hypertrophy'.Today, more than 20 years after the publication of this article there is evidence that these ideas are of relevance and extremely important to understanding the mechanisms involved in the development and progression of cardiac hypertrophy.This is also demonstrated by the large number of quotations of this article in the following years.In this review the results obtained in human and some animal models of cardiac hypertrophy will be summarized in the attempt to illustrate the complexity of the phenomena implicated in the hypertrophy of the heart and the