"She's got the biggest heart." Or "a heart as big as all outdoors."
These very common expressions would lead you to believe that having a big heart is a good thing. Unfortunately, in medicine, a big heart, known as cardiomegaly, may mean big trouble. However, as with many things I see in my practice, knowing your own personal risk is an important first step toward protecting your heart from further problems in the future. You may be born with an enlarged heart or you may develop one as I'll explain:
Enlarged Heart - Congenital
We've all seen the tragic news stories about the young high school or college basketball player who seems in perfect shape, yet drops dead of a heart attack on the basketball court. Often these kids are born with the tendency toward an abnormally thick heart muscle, a problem called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Because people with this condition frequently show no symptoms –they tend to be athletic and healthy-appearing– many of them don't even know they have a heart problem. Strenuous competitive sports stress the enlarged heart, triggering sudden cardiac death.
Enlarged Heart - Acquired
Even if you're born with a normal heart muscle, certain risk factors - including heavy drinking, infection, poorly-controlled high blood pressure, arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms), and heart valve disorders - can damage the heart muscle over time, dilating it and stretching it out so it becomes thinner. In dilated cardiomyopathy, one chamber of the heart (usually beginning in the left ventricle) becomes enlarged. When this happens, your heart becomes an inefficient pump, and if left untreated, congestive heart failure is the end result. Shortness of breath, fluid buildup (water retention) around the ankles, and severe fatigue are symptoms you need to watch out for. If you ever feel any of these, make sure to call us at the office right away!
Whether you are just beginning to show signs of cardiomegaly - or even if you have developed significant enlargement of the heart, there are several things we can recommend to slow down and possibly even reverse the disease process:
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Cut down on alcohol
- Reduce salt intake
- Monitor blood pressure
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Test for and treat any obstructive sleep apnea
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Custom-tailor a medication approach if needed
I also may suggest you try my line of nutritional supplements. These are formulations I personally developed to help reverse-remodel the heart muscle, such as Carnitine Synergy, D-Ribose, and CoQ10-SL. For more information, please contact us online or call our office at (310) 550-8000.
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