Hypertension and the Heart

Left ventricular hypertrophy represents one of the most common complications of the hypertensive state. Indeed, since the Framigham Heart Study, several epidemiological studies have provided clearcut evidence that cardiac hypertrophy represents an important and independent risk factor for the hypertensive patient. Since the introduction of quantitative ultrasound techniques to evaluate cardiac function and state, the research in the field of left ventricular hypertrophy has been par­ ticularly active and fruitful, allowing us to gain new information on the pathophysiology of this condition and on its diagnostic and therapeutic approach. The international symposium "Hypertension and the Heart," one of the most impor­ tant meetings held on this issue in recent years, promoted by Fondazione Internazionale Menarini, dealt with cardiac hypertrophy in its structural, molecular, pathophysiological, and clinical aspects, and with related complications, such as myocardial ischemia, arrhyth­ mias, and congestive heart failure. Prof. A. Zanchetti v CONTENTS Session I: Left Ventricular Hypertrophy: Structural Aspects and Mechanisms 1. Relations of Left Ventricular Geometry and Function to Prognosis in Hypertension .............................................. . Richard B. Devereux, Giovanni de Simone, and Mary J. Roman 2. Left Ventricular Hypertrophy, Arterial Compliance, and Aging .............. 13 Mary 1. Roman, Antonello Ganau, Pier Sergio Saba, and Richard B. Devereux 3. Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and Arterial Blood Pressure in Experimental Models of Hypertension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 . . . . . . .