Differences in left ventricular functional adaptation to arterial stiffness and neurohormonal activation in patients with hypertension: a study with two-dimensional layer-specific speckle tracking echocardiography.

In hypertensive patients without clinically apparent target organ damage, LV GLS, especially endocardium, and LA GLS were more dominantly affected by arterial stiffness because, among the three myocardial layers, the endocardium is most susceptible to pressure overload. Two-dimensional layer-specific speckle-tracking echocardiography sensitively detects LV mechanical dysfunction and provides pathophysiologic insights into LV mechanical adaptations in hypertension.