Clinical aspects of hypertensive myocardial fibrosis

Myocardial fibrosis is one of the histologic constituents of myocardial rem odeling present in hypertensive patients with hypertensive heart disease. I n fact, an exaggerated interstitial and perivascular accumulation of fibril lar collagens type I and type III has been found in the myocardium of patie nts with arterial hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy. Hypertensi ve myocardial fibrosis has been shown to facilitate abnormalities of cardia c function, coronary reserve, and electrical activity that adversely affect the clinical outcome of hypertensive patients. Therefore, development of n oninvasive tools for the monitoring of myocardial fibrosis and pharmacologi cal strategies aimed to promote the regression of fibrosis could be of part icular relevance in the clinical treatment of patients with hypertensive he art disease. (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.