SPP1 and left ventricular hypertrophy: However, it has already been demonstrated for OPN that it is causally involved in the development of cardiac hypertrophy, meaning that the development of left ventricular hypertrophy in the SHR runners must also be taken into account as a consequence of the above-described “non-classic” remodeling (Graf et al., 1997; Xie et al., 2004).