ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION The basic structure of the cardiovascular system is determined early in the development of an individual. However, after birth, and even in adult stages of life, the structures of the heart and blood vessels are not static; these structures undergo constant remodeling. Remodeling can be part of an adaptive process in which the altered structure contributes to homeostatic control of, for instance, mechanical forces in the heart and blood vessels. Remodeling can also be part of a pathological series of events in the cardiovascular system and its end organs.
