Commentary: Mitochondrial respiration in right heart failure

Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction secondary to pulmonary hypertension is responsible for heart failure and death in many clinical settings, including congenital heart disease, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, left-sided heart failure, and pulmonary artery hypertension.1 Increase in RV afterload leads to a series of complex changes that initially result in compensatory hypertrophy and increased contractility, followed by RV dilatation and failure.2,3 The mechanisms responsible for these changes include ventriculoarterial uncoupling, myocardial ischemia secondary to decreased perfusion pressure and capillary rarefaction, inflammation, and fibrosis.
Source: The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery - Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Tags: Commentary Source Type: research