RESUMEN
Hypertensive cardiomyopathies can be divided into 4 ascending categories according to the pathophysiologic and clinical impact of hypertension on the heart: Grade I. This category is characterized by LV diastolic dysfunction with no associated LV hypertrophy. Grade II. Patients at this stage present LV diastolic dysfunction with echocardiographic LV hypertrophy. Exercise capacity in terms of maximal oxygen consumption may be normal (Grade IIA) o impaired (Grade IIB). Grade III. This stage is distinguished by the presence of congestive heart failure (severe dyspnea and X-ray pulmonary edema with normal EF (> or = 50%). Patients having LV mass/volume ratio > 1.8 with little or no myocardial ischemia are classified as IIIA, as compared with IIIB patients having LV mass/volume ratio < 1.8 and significant myocardial ischemia. Clinically, these two subgroups can be distinguished as follows: the presence of a fourth sound and the absence of cardiomegaly for classification as IIIA, and a third sound plus cardiomegaly for classification as IIIB. Grade IV. Here the profile is one of dilated cardiomyopathy, LV hypertrophy and impaired EF (< 50%). The 5-year mortality rate is higher for Grade IV patients than for Grade III patients, although the morbility rate is similar in both.