Are myocardial fibrosis and diastolic dysfunction reversible in hypertensive heart disease?

Abstract

Diastolic dysfunction is an important factor contributing to the appearance of symptomatic heart failure, particularly among elderly women with arterial hypertension. In hypertensive heart disease, the presence of cardiac fibrosis is an important determinant of abnormal myocardial stiffness that contributes to diastolic dysfunction. Recent studies indicate the feasibility of a pharmacology-based regression of fibrosis and improvement in diastolic stiffness.