Ventricular hypertrophy is an adaptation by the heart to increased stress, such as hypertension. This is a physiological response leading to increased muscle mass, which enables the heart to adapt to increased pressure overload. However, in the case of long standing hypertension the left ventricle can undergo an unfavourable remodelling ultimately leading weakening of muscle function, ventricle dilation and deterioration in cardiac function.

Exercise training also causes cardiac hypertrophy, as a physiological and reversible compensatory adaptation that enables the heart to raise its pumping capacity.

Melusin has a key role in triggering the hypertrophic compensatory reaction in response to pressure overload and preventing the transition toward dilated cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.