Coronary microcirculation in hypertensive heart disease: functional significance and therapeutic implications.

In arterial hypertension left ventricular hypertrophy comprises myocyte hypertrophy, interstitial fibrosis and structural alterations of the coronary microcirculation. This leads to an impairment of diastolic function of the left ventricle and coronary flow reserve despite normal epicardial arteries. Consequently, antihypertensive treatment should aim at [13] reversing myocyte hypertrophy, [14] restoring myocardial structure and [8] improving coronary flow reserve along with blood pressure normalization.