Heart failure after long-term supravalvular aortic constriction in rats

Gradual constriction of the rat aorta resulted in heart failure after a variable length of time (3 to 18 months). Despite differences in genotype, the ultimate phenotype associated with the transition to failure in the aorta-banded rat is nearly identical to that observed in the aged spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR), with a few notable differences. The findings suggest that a common heart failure phenotype follows long-term pressure overload regardless of the underlying etiology.