Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesSymptoms and OnsetECG FindingsTreatment to Reverse LVHLifestyle Changes
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Symptoms and Onset
ECG Findings
Treatment to Reverse LVH
Lifestyle Changes
Left ventricularhypertrophy(LVH) is an increase in the mass (weight) of the left ventricle, which is the heart’s main pumping chamber. LVH develops either when the force or volume of blood within the ventricle becomes excessive. Common conditions that cause LVH are high blood pressure and aortic stenosis (a heart valve disease).
What Causes Anatomical Changes in LVH?
The left ventricle is one of the heart’s fourchambers. It pumps oxygen-rich blood into theaorta, the largest artery in the body that delivers blood to vital organs.
Left ventricular hypertrophy is a type of heart-related remodeling that involves an increase in the mass of the left ventricle.
LVH is a response to one or both of the following:
Associated Conditions
Two of the most common causes of LVH are:
Other causes of LVH include:
Left ventricular hypertrophy usually causes no symptoms for many years.
Over time, as the left ventricle thickens and/or enlarges, the heart muscle becomes weaker and stiffer and is unable to pump blood very well.
Left-sided heart failuremay then occur, causing the following symptoms:
How Serious Is LVH?LVH is a concerning finding because it indicates that a person’s heart is working harder than usual. Depending on the severity of the LVH and its cause, the heart may not be pumping blood efficiently.
How Serious Is LVH?
LVH is a concerning finding because it indicates that a person’s heart is working harder than usual. Depending on the severity of the LVH and its cause, the heart may not be pumping blood efficiently.
In addition to heart failure, LVH is associated with the following complications:
Anelectrocardiogram(ECG or EKG), which assesses the heart’s electrical activity, is a readily available tool to detect LVH.
During an ECG, a person lies on a bed or table, and small, sticky pads are strategically positioned on the chest, arms, and legs. Wires attach the pads to a machine, translating the heart’s electrical activity onto paper. The paper is divided into large and small boxes to calculate time and distance.
The heart’s electrical activity appears like wavy, spiky lines on the paper.
These lines consist of the following three parts:
Many different criteria for ECG findings in LVH have been developed, although five general findings of LVH are:
Keep in mind that while an ECG is a reasonable “first-step” tool for identifying LVH and eventually monitoring LVH, imaging tests can more accurately diagnose the condition and its underlying cause.
These imaging tests include:
Does Treatment Reverse LVH?
Even better, research suggests that LVH regression improves cardiovascularprognosiswith intensive blood pressure lowering, specifically maintaining a blood pressure lower than 120/80 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury).
Classes ofmedications used to lower blood pressureinclude:
Bottom Line: LVH Regression Improves PrognosisAchieving LVH regression through medication or surgery decreases the risk of severe complications like heart attack and stroke.
Bottom Line: LVH Regression Improves Prognosis
Achieving LVH regression through medication or surgery decreases the risk of severe complications like heart attack and stroke.
Importance of Lifestyle Changes and Habits
If you or a loved one has LVH, treatment is directed at managing or fixing the underlying cause. While medication and/or surgery may be indicated, adopting heart-healthy lifestyle behaviors also plays a key role.
Heart-healthy behaviors include:
Summary
Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is an increase in the weight of the left ventricle due to thickening of the left ventricle walls, an increase in space within the left ventricle, or both. The two most common causes of LVH are high blood pressure and aortic stenosis (a heart valve disease).
LVH symptoms are usually silent for years until the heart weakens and stops pumping blood efficiently. Once the left heart begins to fail, symptoms like trouble breathing, chest pain, fatigue, and dizziness develop.
LVH can be diagnosed with an electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart), or a cardiac MRI (three-dimensional images of the heart), usually before symptoms even develop.
If underlying causes of LVH are not addressed, potentially life-threatening problems may develop, like heart attack, stroke, or abnormal heart rhythms.
17 Sources
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