Molecular distinction between physiological and pathological cardiac hypertrophy: Experimental findings and therapeutic strategies

Abstract

Cardiac hypertrophy can be defined as an increase in heart mass. Pathological cardiac hypertrophy (heart growth that occurs in settings of disease, e.g. hypertension) is a key risk factor for heart failure. Pathological hypertrophy is associated with increased interstitial fibrosis, cell death and cardiac dysfunction. In contrast, physiological cardiac hypertrophy (heart growth that occurs in response to chronic exercise training, i.e. the 'athlete's heart') is reversible and is characterized by normal cardiac morphology (i.e. no fibrosis or apoptosis) and normal or enhanced cardiac function. Given that there are clear functional, structural, metabolic and molecular differences between patho..