EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL-CARDIOVASCULAR PHARMACOTHERAPY, cilt.3, sa.4, ss.235-250, 2017 (SCI-Expanded)
Hypertension (HTN) is a common cardiovascular risk factor leading to heart failure (HF), coronary artery disease (CAD), stroke, peripheral artery disease and chronic renal failure. Hypertensive heart disease can manifest as many types of cardiac arrhythmias, most commonly being atrial fibrillation (AF). Both supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias may occur in HTN patients, especially in those with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), CAD, or HF. In addition, high doses of thiazide diuretics commonly used to treat HTN, may result in electrolyte abnormalities (e.g. hypokalaemia, hypomagnesaemia), contributing further to arrhythmias, while effective blood pressure control may prevent the development of the arrhythmias such as AF.