Cardiac muscle hypertrophy

The Cardiac muscle hypertrophy is a disease that exists in both humans and animals and in colloquial use also as Athlete heart referred to as.

What is myocardial hypertrophy?

First and foremost, cardiac muscle hypertrophy leads to a strong thickening of the heart muscle. This can lead to various heart complaints which, in the worst case, can lead to the patient's death.
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Behind the Cardiac muscle hypertrophy hides an abnormality of the heart affecting its anatomy and functioning. In medical circles, cardiac muscle hypertrophy is a so-called compensatory enlargement of the heart muscle.

This primarily relates to the ventricular myocardium. The heart muscle increases in mass and circumference when there is cardiac muscle hypertrophy. In practice, a distinction is made between heart muscle atrophy in the form of an eccentric or concentric increase in the heart muscle, which has various causes.

Heart muscle hypertrophy affects the entire cardiovascular system. In addition, both healthy and sick people suffer from cardiac muscle hypertrophy. Under certain conditions, cardiac muscle hypertrophy is a non-pathological increase in volume of the heart.

causes

The causes of the Cardiac muscle hypertrophy are complex.However, they can be understood as a response of the organism to increased stress due to increased physical stress. This results from the compulsion of the heart to compensate for the increased power requirements of the cardiovascular system.

One of the most important causes of myocardial hypertrophy is competitive sports. So-called pressure hypertension, which results from increasing stress on the ventricles due to, for example, excessively high blood pressure, also contributes to the development of cardiac muscle hypertrophy. Pressure hypertension can be present in the right ventricle and be caused by a lung disease or pulmonary valve stenosis.

In addition, left ventricular pressure hypertension (increased pressure in the blood vessels) is also one of the causes of cardiac muscle hypertrophy. This in turn is based on a stenosis of the aortic valves or too high blood pressure in the arteries.

Symptoms, ailments & signs

Heart muscle hypertrophy is initially noticeable as shortness of breath and cardiovascular complaints that develop over a period of several weeks, months or even years. Angina pectoris is also a typical symptom. The chest tightness manifests itself as a discomfort behind the breastbone, often combined with a dull, throbbing pain, burning and pressure.

Often there are also shortness of breath and dizziness. The pain can radiate to the shoulders, neck, back, stomach and jaw. In the course of myocardial hypertrophy, cardiac arrhythmias and ultimately cardiac insufficiency set in. Many patients complain of signs of heart failure, i.e. gasping, breathing difficulties and reduced exercise capacity.

In general, the risk of a heart attack is increased. Heart muscle hypertrophy manifests itself primarily through symptoms of the heart, which appear insidious and are usually chronic. If treatment is given early, the symptoms will subside after a few weeks to months.

If left untreated, the disease can be fatal. Before that, a thickening of the heart muscle develops, which eventually leads to a heart attack. As a result of the rather negative general prognosis, many sufferers develop fears, depressive moods and other mental illnesses that further impair their quality of life and well-being.

Diagnosis & course

With an untreated Cardiac muscle hypertrophy complications can arise, which show up as an increased risk of a heart attack or a loss of function of the heart.

In order to prevent these risks in good time, various diagnostic procedures are important, which are based in particular on advanced medical-technical devices. In addition, the specialist can also precisely identify cardiac muscle hypertrophy through visual assessment of the patient, listening to the heart and lungs, touching, and laboratory-based examinations.

In order to be able to clearly show this reaction of the heart to permanent stress as heart muscle hypertrophy, an ultrasound-supported examination of the heart can be used as a further diagnostic measure. In addition, the technical conditions exist to diagnose myocardial hypertrophy using magnetic resonance imaging. Basically, the onset of pathological heart muscle hypertrophy is always insidious, so that the symptoms are only gradually noticed.

Complications

First and foremost, cardiac muscle hypertrophy leads to a strong thickening of the heart muscle. This can lead to various heart complaints which, in the worst case, can lead to the patient's death. In most cases this leads to heart failure, which if left untreated can be life-threatening.

The risk of a heart attack is also increased by the cardiac muscle hypertrophy and what is known as gasping for breath usually occurs. The heart is weakened and the patient is usually only slightly resilient. Those affected often feel sick and uncomfortable and no longer actively participate in life. Furthermore, the symptoms often lead to depression and other mental illnesses, which can have a negative impact on the quality of life of the person concerned.

Usually, heart muscle hypertrophy is treated with the help of drugs. There are no complications, but it cannot be predicted directly whether the treatment will lead to a positive course of the disease. The life expectancy of the patient is usually limited by cardiac muscle hypertrophy and will be reduced to a few more years without treatment.

When should you go to the doctor?

If symptoms of heart failure are noticed, a doctor should be consulted. Heart muscle hypertrophy manifests itself as shortness of breath, heart pain, angina pectoris and dizziness. If these signs appear and do not subside by themselves after a few days at the latest, medical advice is required. This is especially true if there are additional symptoms, such as shortness of breath or panic attacks. Even unspecific complaints should be clarified if they occur over several days or weeks and cannot be traced back to any other cause.

People who already suffer from heart disease are particularly at risk. Heart muscle hypertrophy is also common in people who lead an unhealthy lifestyle and are consequently obese. Likewise, competitive athletes and people with chronic lung disease or pulmonary valve stenosis. Anyone who belongs to these risk groups should consult a specialist with the symptoms mentioned. The family doctor can make the first diagnosis and refer the patient to a suitable cardiologist. In the event of severe complaints, the emergency medical service can be contacted first.

Doctors & therapists in your area

Treatment & Therapy

Treatment of the Cardiac muscle hypertrophy can be done very specifically nowadays. In this context, the therapy of myocardial hypertrophy is based on different pillars.

However, the centerpiece of treating myocardial hypertrophy is prescribing medication. The effect of the medicinal substances contained is aimed at reducing increased physical stress, for example through competitive sports. Sports that quickly put maximum stress on the heart should also be avoided initially. However, well-dosed physical exercise is allowed. The conventional therapy variants involve the administration of drugs, which are known as beta blockers or calcium antagonists and which reduce the performance of the left ventricle.

If there are already disorders of the heart rhythm that can lead to life-threatening ventricular fibrillation, treatment of the heart muscle hypertrophy with antiarrhythmics is useful. In order to support the contractility of the entire heart muscle, digitalis or catecholamines are also taken when treating cardiac muscle hypertrophy. Conventional treatment is expanded to include interventional procedures.

Outlook & forecast

Myocardial hypertrophy is basically treatable and treatable. With good medical care, early therapy and the cooperation of the patient, the enlargement of the heart muscle can be changed and reduced. Therefore, a favorable forecast is possible in principle. Medical treatment and monitoring of the state of health are necessary so that the person concerned does not die prematurely. Without medical intervention, the mortality risk is significantly increased.

If there are no other diseases or disorders of the heart rhythm, the patient can be free of symptoms within a few months. The size of the heart muscle is gradually reduced in a controlled manner. At the same time, the patient's complaints decrease. Often times, one's lifestyle has to be changed immensely for recovery.

Since heart muscle hypertrophy mostly occurs in athletes, internal resistance to necessary restrictions in the chosen lifestyle can develop. High-performance athletes are often forced by cardiac muscle hypertrophy to almost completely give up their sporting activities. There is a risk of secondary illnesses, as the necessary restructuring will lead to severe psychological stress during the transition period. If the person concerned does not accept the warnings and the treatment plan drawn up by the doctor, permanent damage to the organ and severe impairment of breathing can occur. In these cases, the prognosis is classified as unfavorable.

prevention

Preventively useful against a Cardiac muscle hypertrophy is the observation of blood pressure. High blood pressure should definitely be treated. Participation in competitive sports should also include regular medical checks in order to rule out health impairments due to cardiac muscle hypertrophy in good time.

As a preventive measure in the case of a genetic predisposition to cardiac muscle hypertrophy, surgical interventions, including the implantation of a defibrillator, are suitable if there is a family history. This device is also known as a pacemaker and can protect against the dangerous ventricular fibrillation in the case of cardiac hypertrophy. A healthy lifestyle is also a useful contribution to preventing cardiac muscle hypertrophy.

prevention

In the case of cardiac muscle hypertrophy, the affected person usually has very few or even no direct follow-up measures available. With this disease, a doctor must first and foremost be seen as soon as possible so that there are no further complications. In the worst case, the affected person dies from this disease if it is not treated properly.

In most cases, heart muscle hypertrophy is treated with medication. The person concerned should always pay attention to a correct application and also to the correct dosage of the medication. If anything is unclear or if you have any questions, a doctor should always be contacted first. As a rule, physical exertion should be avoided in the case of cardiac muscle hypertrophy in order not to strain the heart unnecessarily.

The doctor can also explain to the person concerned which activities are allowed. Furthermore, regular examinations by a doctor are necessary in order to monitor and control the heart. In severe cases, surgery may also be necessary to relieve the symptoms of cardiac hypertrophy. After such an operation, the person concerned must rest and refrain from physical or stressful activities.

You can do that yourself

If myocardial hypertrophy is diagnosed, in addition to drug therapy, an adaptation of everyday behavior and self-help measures are suitable to interrupt the process of hypertrophy of the myocardium and improve the subjective feeling.

It is important to arrange one's life in such a way that there is no longer any incentive for the heart muscle to react in a compensatory way by increasing its mass. This does not mean avoiding all cardiac stress, but sports that are associated with light endurance stress such as Nordic walking on the flat, swimming and cycling are helpful. Most ball sports have an unfavorable effect because they are associated with previously incalculable performance peaks.

In addition to light to moderate sporting activities, it makes sense to support the process of coping with stress through recognized relaxation techniques such as tai chi, targeted breathing exercises, yoga, Qi Gong or similar techniques. The practice of relaxation techniques in connection with the light to moderate endurance sports leads to lower blood pressure and a stable heart rhythm. This gives the heart the opportunity to regenerate. If the heart muscle hypertrophy was caused by competitive sport (athlete's heart), there is even a chance that it will resolve again.