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REVIEW

The Depiction of Hypertension in Heart Imaging Examinations: An Up-to-Date Review of the Evidence

ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon &
Pages 789-796 | Received 20 Aug 2023, Accepted 21 Nov 2023, Published online: 28 Nov 2023
 

Abstract

Hypertension is one of the main preventable cardiovascular (CV) risk factors all over the years, closely related to CV morbidity and mortality. One of the most common hypertensive target organ damages is hypertensive heart disease (HHD), including left ventricular hypertrophy, which progresses gradually and leads to systolic or diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricular, and finally to end-stage heart failure. Regarding its prevalence and the need for early diagnosis, assessment of heart imaging examination is of major importance. Echocardiography has been used as the standard imaging technique to evaluate HHD for years, providing an accurate evaluation of the left ventricular geometry, along with the systolic and diastolic function. However, nowadays there is a growing interest in cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). Despite the importance of the use of echocardiography in everyday clinical practice, numerous studies have shown the superiority of CMR as an imaging technique for clinical and research purposes, mainly due to its strength to provide an unlimited area of view, as well as the identification and quantification of the type and extent of myocardial fibrosis. Hence, this review aims to analyze the importance of heart imaging in the hypertensive population, with a special interest in CMR imaging.

Abbreviations

CV, Cardiovascular; HHD, Hypertensive Heart Disease; LVH, Left Ventricular Hypertrophy; LVSD, Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction; LVDD, Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction; HFNEF, Heart Failure with Normal Ejection Fraction; CMR, Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance; 2D, Two-Dimensional; 3D, Three-Dimensional.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.