Chronic mineralocorticoid excess and cardiovascular remodeling.

Publication/Presentation Date

1-1-1995

Abstract

Chronic mineralocorticoid (MC) excess, whether due to elevated plasma aldosterone (ALDO) or deoxycorticosterone (DOC), is associated with a perivascular fibrosis of systemic and coronary arterioles. This remodeling of resistance vessels contributes to the appearance of hypertension. Chronic MC excess is also accompanied by cardiac myocyte necrosis, secondary to myocardial potassium depletion, and a subsequent reparative fibrosis that appears in the normotensive, nonhypertrophied right and hypertensive, hypertrophied left ventricles. Fibrosis contributes to the appearance of ventricular arrhythmias and dysfunction. Herein, clinical and experimental evidence linking chronic, inappropriate (relative to dietary sodium) elevations in circulating ALDO and DOC with these reactive and reparative forms of fibrous tissue formation in the heart and other tissues is presented.

Volume

60

Issue

1

First Page

125

Last Page

132

ISSN

0039-128X

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

PubMedID

7792797

Department(s)

Department of Medicine

Document Type

Article

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