[Treatment of myocardial and coronary effects of arterial hypertension].

The hypertensive damage to the target organ "heart" comprises the sum and interactions of the cardiac organ manifestations of arterial hypertension such as myocardial hypertrophy and disease of large and small coronary arteries. As the prognosis of arterial hypertension is determined, to a considerable extent, by these cardiac complications, the aim of treatment of hypertensive heart disease is reversal of the myocardial hypertrophy in order to prevent later progression to hypertensive failure. A further goal of therapy is reversal of hypertensive small coronary disease in order to improve the coronary reserve. While the evidence that regression of hypertrophy can be induced by suitable antihypertensive drugs (calcium channel blockers of the dihydropyridine type, ACE inhibitors, and sympathicolytic substances) is practically conclusive, clinical evidence of reversal of hypertensive small coronary disease has yet to be provided. Moreover, we do not know at present to what extent the prognosis of hypertensive heart disease can be improved by reversal of hypertrophy. Once the stage of hypertensive heart failure is reached, the principles of medical management of heart failure with digitalis, diuretics, and ACE inhibitors apply.