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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staff
Left ventricular hypertrophy can happen when one or more things make your heart work harder than normal to pump blood to your body. For example, if you have high blood pressure, the muscles of the left ventricle must contract more forcefully than normal in order to counter the effect of the elevated blood pressure.
The work of adapting to high blood pressure may result in larger muscle tissue in the walls of the left ventricle. The increase in muscle mass causes the heart to function poorly.
Factors that can cause your heart to work harder include the following:
- High blood pressure (hypertension). This condition is the most common cause of left ventricular hypertrophy. A blood pressure reading is given in a unit of measure called millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Hypertension is generally defined as systolic pressure greater than 140 mm Hg and a diastolic pressure greater than 90 mm Hg, or 140/90 mm Hg.(7) Systolic pressure is blood pressure while the heart contracts, and diastolic pressure is blood pressure while the heart rests between beats.
- Aortic valve stenosis. This disease is a narrowing of the aortic valve, the flap separating your left ventricle from the aorta, the large blood vessel that delivers oxygen-rich blood to your body. This partial obstruction of blood flow requires the left ventricle to work harder to pump blood into the aorta.
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In this disease, the heart muscle (myocardium) becomes abnormally thick — or hypertrophied. This thickened heart muscle can make it harder for the heart to pump blood.
- Athletic training. Intense, prolonged endurance and strength training can cause the heart to adapt so that it can handle the extra workload. In some people, these changes may lead to left ventricular hypertrophy.
- Other medical conditions. Some rare conditions, such as certain types of muscular dystrophy and Fabry's disease, are associated with changes in the heart that increase the risk of left ventricular hypertrophy.
References
- Kaplan NM, et al. Clinical implications and treatment of left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertension. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 4, 2010.
- Maron BJ. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In: Libby P, et al., eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4106-1..50068-6--cesec3&displayedEid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4106-1..50068-6--cesec4&uniq=181218300&isbn=978-1-4160-4106-1&sid=946756953. Accessed Feb. 4, 2010.
- Atrial and ventricular enlargement. In: Goldberger Ary L. Clinical Electrocardiography: A Simplified Approach. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/181218300-7/0/1394/36.html?tocnode=51851133&fromURL=36.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-04038-1..50007-X--cesec4_66. Accessed Feb. 4, 2010.
- Goldberger AL. Electrocardiographic diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 4, 2010.
- Murashima M, et al. Hypertension. In: Rakel RE, et al. Conn's Current Therapy 2008. 60th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6642-2..00005-3--s0325&displayedEid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6642-2..00005-3--s0330&uniq=181218300&isbn=978-1-4160-6642-2&sid=946716787#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6642-2..00005-3--sc0070%3Bfrom%3Dtoc%3Btype%3DbookPage%3Bisbn%3D978-1-4160-6642-2. Accessed Feb. 4, 2010.
- Domino FJ. Overview of hypertension in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 4, 2010.
- Aortic valve stenosis (AS) and aortic insufficiency (AI). American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1659. Accessed Feb. 4, 2010.
- Cannon CP, et al. Approach to the patient with chest pain. In: Libby P, et al., eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4106-1..50052-2&uniq=159657875&isbn=978-1-4160-4106-1&sid=887271424. Accessed Feb. 4, 2010.
- Grogan M (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 16, 2010.
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