Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is characterized by the presence of an abnormal hypertrophy of the left ventricle (LV), without dilation, and in the absence of any condition or another cardiac or systemic disease capable of inducing such hypertrophy. This primary or idiopathic hypertrophy can occur with or without dynamic obstruction (induced by exercise) of the LV outflow tract, so in its na...

We explored whether dietary-induced obesity hastens the transition from concentric left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy to pump dysfunction in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and the mechanisms thereof. After feeding rats a diet for 4 to 5 months, obesity was induced in SHRs and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) control rats. Obesity was not associated with abnormal blood glucose control (glycosylated hem...

Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) has been identified as an endogenous anti-hypertrophy effect. However, the association of plasma GDF-15 levels with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in hypertension is poorly understood. We investigate the effect of plasma GDF-15 levels on left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in hypertension. We measured the plasma levels of GDF-15 in 299 untreated hype...

Cardiac hypertrophy is an adaptive response to haemodynamic stress. Pressure and/or volume overload in hypertension, myocardial infarction (MI) and valvular heart disease are pathological stresses that lead to left-ventricular (LV) dilatation and/or wall thickening. While in the short term compensatory mechanisms maintain cardiac output, sustained hypertrophic responses can lead to maladaptive ...

Hypertension and cardiac remodeling are associated with myocardial fibrosis, left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, and diastolic heart failure. Fenofibrate suppresses aldosterone-mediated increases in myocyte matrix metalloproteinase activity and extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation. It is unknown whether the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha agonist, fenofibrate, i...

BACKGROUND The various prevalence of LVH and abnormal LV geometry have been reported in different populations. So far, only a few reports are available on the prevalence of LV geometric patterns in a large Chinese untreated hypertensive population. METHODS A total of 9,286 subjects (5167 men and 4119 women) completed the survey and 1641 untreated hypertensive patients (1044 males and 597 fema...

The long-term effects of hemodialysis arteriovenous fistula (AVF) closure on left ventricular (LV) morphology are unknown. Using echocardiography, we prospectively studied 17 kidney transplant recipients before, 1, and, 21 months after AVF closure (mean fistula flow 1371 +/- 727 mL/min). Eight kidney transplant recipients with a patent AVF, matched for age, time after AVF creation, and time aft...

Activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-α2 protects the heart against pressure overload-induced heart failure in mice. Although metformin is a known activator of AMPK, it is unclear whether its cardioprotection acts independently of an AMPKα2-dependent pathway. Because the role of AMPKα1 stimulation on remodeling of failing hearts is poorly defined, we first studied the effects of dis...

OBJECTIVES This study sought to evaluate myocardial contraction fraction (MCF) as an index of myocardial shortening by comparison to conventional shortening indices in patients with hypertensive hypertrophy, athletes with physiologic hypertrophy and sedentary normal adult subjects. BACKGROUND A significant percentage of patients with hypertensive hypertrophy have "normal" or "preserved" left ...

BACKGROUND The relevance of left ventricular (LV) geometric pattern after myocardial infarction is not known. OBJECTIVES To analyze the presence of different LV geometric patterns and their impact as a predictor of remodeling in patients with myocardial infarction. METHODS Patients with anterior acute myocardial infarction (n = 80) were divided according to the geometric pattern: normal (no...