Progressive impairment of atrial myocyte function during left ventricular hypertrophy and heart failure.

Hypertensive heart disease (HHD) can cause left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and heart failure (HF). It is unclear, though, which factors may contribute to the transition from compensated LV hypertrophy to HF in HHD. We hypothesized that maladaptive atrial remodeling with impaired atrial myocyte function would occur in advanced HHD and may be associated with the emergence of HF.