Experimental studies on myocardial stretch and ventricular arrhythmia in hypertrophied and non-hypertrophied hearts

Hypertension affects about 5% of western populations and in the majority of cases it is of unknown aetiology. It exposes the heart to greater levels o f myocardial stretch as a result of increased systolic pressure and periphe ral resistance. Under certain circumstances myocardial stretch may trigger arrhythmias but the mechanisms and clinical importance of this phenomenon a re unclear. This article outlines the risks of sudden cardiac death conferr ed by hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy, presents the results o f experiments using an animal model of myocardial stretch and discusses som e possible mechanisms underlying stretch-induced arrhythmias which may be i mportant in hypertensive patients.