 Heart failure with preserved systolic function HF-PSF, or diastolic heart failure accounts for half of hospitalizations for heart failure in patients over the age of 65. Most HF-PSF patients have systemic hypertension HTN, and characteristic HTN-induced cardiovascular changes contribute to HF-PSF. However, it is unclear why most patients with HTN never develop HF-PSF or which specific aspects of HTN predispose to HF-PSF. 