Like most muscles, the heart becomes larger when it's worked hard. Unlike some muscles, an increase in the size of the heart can be dangerous. In the event the left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber must overexert itself to pump oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body, its muscle becomes enlarged.

This condition is known as left ventricular hypertrophy. The oversized muscle needs a lager supply of blood to support it. When the heart tissue receives too little blood and oxygen; cardiac ishemia, a heart attack or heart failure may result.

High blood pressure (hypertension)uncontrolled is a well-known cause of left ventricular hypertrophy.

It is estimated that more than 20% of people with hypertension have enlarged heart muscle. Left ventricular hypertrophy may be an inherited condition or caused by aortic valve stenosis, which is a narrowing of the valve between the heart, and aorta, the largest artery in the body.

Obesity, also contributes to its development.

An invidual with left ventricular hypertrophy will experience shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, and a rapid heartbeat; known as palpitations. There are times when the condition may cause no symptoms, and so blood pressure should be monitored regularly.

Electrocardiogram

Electrocardiogram referred to as ECG, and echocardiogram test are both used to diagnose and evaluate left ventricular hypertrophy. The electrocardiogram shows changes in the heart's electrical patterns when the muscle grows to thick.

Echocardiograph, an ultrasound exam, provides a visual image of the heart muscle to reveal overgrowth as well as changes in blood flow through the heart.

Echocardiograms yield information on the size, thickness, mass (weight) of the heart. recent study has demonstrated the role of each test.

In a study which lasted more than six (6)years, researchers studied electrocardiogram results of nearly 10,000 women, and men with left ventricular hypertrophy. They learned that the electrical patterns evident while a person was taking blood pressure medication were a good indicator of risk for heart attack or stroke. The more severe the evidence of left ventricular hypertrophy, the higher the risk for a cardiovascular event.

This finding is highly significant because even though the ultrasound images of an echocardiogram accurately detect left ventricular hypertrophy, the electrocardiogram is an easier, less expensive tool for assessing changes in the risk that the condition presents.

Reducing Mass Matters

Echocardiograph was instrumental in an intriguing discovery. Researchers used it to track left ventricular hypertrophy changes in 941 of a study participants. Though antihypertensive medication lowered blood pressure and thus reduced the dangers posed by left ventricular hypertrophy to a point, echocardiography helped demonstrate that some of these drugs also shrunk the enlarged heart muscle.

Individuals who had the greatest reductions in enlarged heart muscle had the lowest risk for heart attack, and stroke.

Such finding has given doctors clues as to why some people with high blood pressure remain at high risk for stroke and heart attack even after they lower their blood pressure to healthy levels.

Targeting hypertention treatment to reduce or prevent left ventricular hypertrophy in addition to lowering blood pressure may improve the future health of some patients. In a study, losartan, available as Cozaar, an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, accomplished that dual goal.

The researchers note that the angioten-coverting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and calcium channel blocks also appear to be promising medication in this regard, although futher investigation is needed.

Study results also suggest that doctors should periodically measure left ventricular mass in people with left ventricular hypertrophy caused by high blood pressure so that they can better tailor proper treatment. This can be accomplished with both echocardiogram, and electrocardiogram testing

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