['It is not known how carbohydrate and fat intake affect the development of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and contractile dysfunction in response to pressure overload. We hypothesized that a low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet prevents LV hypertrophy and dysfunction compared with high-carbohydrate diets.', 'Rats were fed high-carbohydrate diets composed of either starch or sucrose, or a low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet, and underwent abdominal aortic banding (AAB) for 2 months. AAB increased LV mass with all diets. LV end-diastolic and systolic volumes and the ratio of the mRNA for myosin heavy chain beta/alpha were increased with both high-carbohydrate diets but not with the low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet. Circulating levels of insulin and leptin, both stimulants for cardiac growth, were lower, and free fatty acids were higher with the low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet compared with high-carbohydrate diets. Among animals that underwent AAB, LV volumes were positively correlated with insulin and LV mass correlated with leptin.'] Does low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet attenuate pressure overload-induced ventricular remodeling and dysfunction?