Left Ventricular Hypertrophy, Diagnosis, Prognosis and Regression

Systemic hypertension is associated with a number of adaptive structural changes in the cardiovascular system, and left ventricular hypertrophy is a common consequence. However, left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensiyon has been identified as a major risk factor for occurence of sudden death and other cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Many clinical and experimental studies have clearly shown that left ventricular hypertrophy may regress with blood pressure lowering. Yet, all antihypertensive drugs which are equally effective on blood pressure do not have the same efficacy on the left ventricular regression. It is concluded that regression of myocardial hypertrophy appears to be beneficial and not detrimental to cardiac performance.