HEART ENLARGEMENT

Heart enlargement can be pathological (related to significant heart disease) or physiological (related to exercise or other physical activity). Any sustained condition or activity that makes the heart work harder can enlarge it, including:

* Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure (the force of blood against artery walls).Heart failure

* Coronary artery disease
* Valve disease
* High blood pressure (hypertension)
* Obesity
* Coronary artery spasm
* Cardiac ischemia
* Thyroid disease
* Severe anemia
* Excess iron or protein build-up in the body
* Excessive alcohol use
* Obstructive sleep apnea
# A different sort of enlarged heart is known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This form of cardiomyopathy occurs when the heart’s muscles thicken abnormally. This thickening usually happens in the left ventricle since it is the main pumping muscle.

# Additionally, a small number of patients have an enlarged heart with no known cause (idiopathic).

# Another condition, sometimes referred to as “athlete’s heart,” can occur in high-level athletes who engage in regular, sustained and often intense exercise. In most cases, this is not a medically significant or dangerous condition for them.

Treatment and prevention

Treatment for an enlarged heart may include medications, such as ACE inhibitors, to lighten the heart’s pumping load and keep it from further enlargement. Treatment should also be directed at the cause of the enlarged heart (e.g., high blood pressure, valvular heart disease). Medications such as diuretics may be prescribed for those with heart failure.

Prevention of the underlying diseases that could cause the heart to enlarge, and early diagnosis once it has developed, is crucial. This includes:

* Eating a balanced, low-fat diet
* Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels
* Keeping blood pressure under control
* Engaging in a regular exercise program
* Visiting the physician regularly

Proper management, such as controlling high blood pressure, treating valve disease and discontinuing alcohol consumption may reverse an enlarged heart.