HYPERTENSIVE HEART DISEASE

Course overview

HYPERTENSIVE HEART DISEASE REFERS TO A CONSTELLATION OF CHANGES IN THE LEFT VENTRICLE, LEFT ATRIUM AND CORONARY ARTERIES AS A RESULT OF CHRONIC BLOOD PRESSURE ELEVATION, WHICH INCREASES THE WORKLOAD ON THE HEART INDUCING STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL CHANGES. THESE CHANGES INCLUDE HYPERTROPHY OF THE LEFT VENTRICLE, WHICH CAN PROGRESS TO HEART FAILURE; PATIENTS WITH LEFT VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY. HYPERTENSIVE HEART DISEASE ULTIMATELY ENCOMPASSES ALL OF THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT SEQUELAE OF CHRONIC HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE WHICH INCLUDE SYSTOLIC OR DIASTOLIC HEART FAILURE, CONDUCTION ARRHYTHMIAS, ESPECIALLY ATRIAL FIBRILLATION, AND INCREASED RISK OF CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION OF HYPERTENSIVE HEART DISEASE AND IDENTIFIES THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MANAGING THIS CONDITION.