The BOTTOM LINE here, my friend....is that you MUST find a new doctor soon. First of all, the heart is nothing to mess with. You NEED a doctor that informs you of your diagnoses WITHOUT you practically begging.!!!! Really, please do start looking for a different Cardiologist! RIGHT AWAY! Second...... Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is the thickening of the myocardium (muscle) of the left ventricle of the heart. While ventricular hypertrophy can occur naturally as a reaction to aerobic exercise and strength training, it is most frequently referred to as a pathological reaction to cardiovascular disease. While LVH itself is not a disease, it is usually a marker for disease involving the heart. Disease processes that can cause LVH include any disease that increases the afterload that the heart has to contract against, and some primary diseases of the muscle of the heart. Causes of increased afterload that can cause LVH include aortic stenosis, aortic insufficiency, and hypertension. Primary disease of the muscle of the heart that cause LVH are known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathies. Diagnosis The principle method to diagnose LVH is echocardiography, during which the thickness of the muscle of the heart can be measured. The electrocardiogram (ECG) often shows signs of increased voltage from the heart in individuals with LVH, so this is often used as a screening test to determine who should undergo further testing with an echocardiogram. **************************************... Please take your heart health seriously, and get with someone who actually INFORM you. Accordingly, I would refrain from any aerobic activity. God Bless you.
yes, it can be serious - any kind of heart problem can be - always talk to your doc - about EVERYTHING !! good luck!!
Go to a cardiologist. They can give you much better info than your general doctor. I have been workign with them for about a year now and they know EVERYthing there is to know about a heart. LVhypertrophy means that because of your high bp, your ventricle has been enlarged- mildly, as your doctor put it. Many people live with this condition and I wouldn t worry too much. Please continue exercising(keeps the blood pumping and your body healthy!)- if you experience chest pain, I would definitely go back to the ER. Did he give you nitro spray? You can use that if you experience chest pain- one spray under tongue, wait 5 minutes, if pain doesn t go away you may spray under tongue again. You may do this three times. (3 sprays total) What is your ejection fraction? How s your cholesterol? As for more answers, I would ask a specialist, just for peace of mind. =)
good news it s often reversable if you are put on a antihypertensive med. (i think it would be an ace inhibitor)
Left ventricular hypertrophy refers to a thickening of your heart muscle s main pumping chamber (left ventricle). Although left ventricular hypertrophy itself isn t a disease, it is a marker of an underlying health problem. The thickened muscle usually develops in response to chronic high blood pressure or excessive blood volume filling the left ventricle, which creates more work for your heart. Over time, the overdeveloped heart muscle may wear out and eventually fail. The incidence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) increases with age and is more common in people who have high blood pressure or have other heart problems. Whatever the cause, left ventricular hypertrophy places you at an increased risk of major heart and blood vessel complications, compared with people without the condition. You can reduce your risk of developing left ventricular hypertrophy by controlling high blood pressure or by getting treatment for other conditions that can lead to left ventricular hypertrophy. Causes Left ventricular hypertrophy Your heart muscle responds to an increased workload much like your arm muscles respond to weightlifting — by enlarging and thickening. As the muscle cells of your heart increase in size, the heart wall widens. However, unlike your biceps muscle, which rests when you put down the dumbbell, your heart muscle must work nonstop. Left ventricular hypertrophy may take up anywhere from weeks to years to develop. Over time, the heart muscle becomes quot;stiffquot; and the amount of blood that the heart can effectively pump out to the body begins to drop. Left untreated, the overdeveloped heart muscle will wear out and eventually fail. Left ventricular hypertrophy usually develops in response to excessive blood pressure (pressure overload) or excessive blood volume filling the left ventricle (volume overload). Pressure overload Causes of pressure overload include: Hypertension. Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood pumped by the heart and how the blood vessels respond to the pressure (resistance). High blood pressure is the most common cause of left ventricular hypertrophy. Aortic stenosis. This is a condition in which there s a narrowing of the aortic valve, the flap separating your heart from the aorta, the large blood vessel that branches off your heart and delivers oxygen-rich blood to your body. When the aortic valve is narrowed, blood flow from the heart into the aorta and on to your body is obstructed. Aortic stenosis causes blood pressure to build in the left ventricle. Volume overload Causes of volume overload include: Aortic valve regurgitation. Aortic valve regurgitation is a condition in which the heart valve separating the left ventricle and the aorta doesn t close properly, resulting in some blood flowing backward into the left ventricle. This increases the volume of blood in the left ventricle. Dilated cardiomyopathy. Cardiomyopathy refers to a weakening of the heart muscle. The condition may be inherited or acquired later in life. Dilated cardiomyopathy involves the enlargement of one or more chambers of your heart. An enlarged left ventricle is able to fill with more blood and requires more force to pump it out to your body. Left ventricular hypertrophy can occur in the absence of pressure or volume overload. An inherited condition that causes a thickening in part or all of the heart (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) can cause left ventricular hypertrophy. Complications The risk of complications depends on the severity of the left ventricular hypertrophy — the thicker the muscles in the left ventricle, the greater your risk of complications. The most common complications include: Arrhythmia. An arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm — that may be felt as a fluttering in the chest — resulting from a disruption in the electrical activity of your heart. Arrhythmias range from mild to life-threatening. Congestive heart failure. If you develop left ventricular hypertrophy, your heart may lose its ability to deliver enough blood to meet your body s demands. As your heart fails, fluid may also back up (congest) in your lungs. Ischemic heart disease. A thickened heart muscle compresses the small vessels feeding your heart, resulting in an insufficient amount of blood to your heart. Without adequate blood flow to the heart muscle, your heart becomes starved for oxygen (ischemic). Unexpected sudden death. People with left ventricular hypertrophy are more likely to have an irregular heartbeat than are people without left ventricular hypertrophy. Severe irregular heartbeats are associated with an increased risk of sudden death. Prevention The best way to help prevent left ventricular hypertrophy is to keep your blood pressure within the limits recommended by your doctor. Here are a few tips to better manage your blood pressure: Monitor high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, get a home blood pressure measuring device and check your blood pressure frequently. Schedule regular checkups with your doctor. Make time for exercise. Regular exercise helps to lower blood pressure. Aim to engage in 30 minutes of moderate activity at least five times a week. Talk to your doctor about whether you need to restrict certain physical activities, such as weightlifting, which may temporarily raise your blood pressure. Watch your diet. Eat foods high in fat and salt sparingly and increase your consumption of vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy products. Drink alcohol and caffeinated beverages in moderation. In addition to controlling high blood pressure, it s important to monitor other health conditions that increase your risk of heart disease, including diabetes and high blood cholesterol.
it can be serious, the good thing is that you are fit and now you kno about it, so your GP can keep an eye on things for you. Iam sure you will be OK now
No, you should not be overly concerned about this as it is most likely a normal varient. I will explain why. Simply your heart is a muscle, and when you work a muscle it get s bigger. Well this is what hypertrophy is. An enlargement of the heart muscle, and in your case the Left Ventricle. Why? That is the chamber that pumps the blood throughout your body. Basically you have built it up yourself as a body builder would build his biceps. Your hypertension is something to keep an eye on! Since you have a STRONG family history it is just a given that you would have it as well. At 150/90 you are right at the borderline for this condition. It is the lower number that you are concerned with. Your systolic pressure 150 is the high for when your heart beats, and your Diastolic pressure is the level that remains when your heart is at rest between beats. This Diastolic or contant pressure is the bad guy. The goal is to keep it below 90 mmhg. :O) Jerry
Ventricular hypertrophy (i.e., increased ventricular mass) is an adaptation by the ventricle to increased stress, such as chronically increased volume load (preload) or increased pressure load (afterload). It is a physiological response that enables the heart to adapt to increased stress; however, the response can become pathological and ultimately lead to a deterioration in function. For example, hypertrophy is a normal physiological adaptation to exercise training that enables the ventricle to enhance its pumping capacity. This type of physiologic hypertrophy is reversible and non-pathological. Chronic hypertension causes ventricular hypertrophy. This response enables the heart to maintain a normal stroke volume despite the increase in afterload. However, over time, pathological changes occur in the heart that lead to a functional degradation and heart failure. If the precipitating stress is volume overload, the ventricle responds by adding new sarcomeres in-series to existing sarcomeres, which causes ventricular dilation while maintaining normal sarcomere lengths. The wall thickness normally increases in proportion to the increase in chamber radius. This type of hypertrophy is termed eccentric hypertrophy. In the case of chronic pressure overload, the chamber radius may not change; however, the wall thickness greatly increases as new sarcomeres are added in-parallel to existing sarcomeres. This is termed concentric hypertrophy. This type of ventricle is capable of generating greater forces and higher pressures, while the increased wall thickness maintains normal wall stress. This type of ventricle becomes quot;stiffquot; (i.e., compliance is reduced) which can impair filling and lead to diastolic dysfunction. Treatment for left ventricular hypertrophy focuses on the underlying cause of the condition. Depending on the cause, treatment may involve medication or surgery: Treating high blood pressure. High blood pressure is the most common cause of left ventricular hypertrophy. Doctors often prescribe medications to lower blood pressure, such as quot;water pillsquot; (diuretics). Severe high blood pressure requiring intensive care may be treated with drugs given through a vein (intravenous) called diazoxide and sodium nitroprusside. Your doctor may also recommend that you follow a low-salt diet.
