Having Enlarged Heart After Pregnancy. Noticed Irregular Heartbeat Frequently. What To Do?

Posted on Tue, 26 Nov 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 26 Nov 2013 Answered on

Wed, 18 Dec 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : I have an enlarged heart. The cardiologist I have been seeing told me that it was 6.3 cm. in diameter and that 5.5 centimeters is the top of the normal range. I am overweight (about 80 lbs.) but have never had high cholesterol or high blood pressure. I exercise about 2 times a week for an hour each time and have been vegan for 4 years. I have been taking Carvedilol and Enalapril for 2 years and my dr. said that my first echo showed 6.3 cm diameter before the meds, the second shortly after starting the meds showed 5.8 cm and the third recent echo showed 6.3 cm again. What I want to know is is this totally out of the range of possibilities of size as in definitely not normal. I am a very big built person and look very thin and fit at 200 lbs (my weight 6 years ago). I forgot to mention I am female and my symptoms that brought me to the cardiologist appears after giving birth to my son. I was having irregular heartbeat frequently. However, on the meds, it occurs rarely. It went from occurring multiple times a day to maybe once every month or two.

Answered by Dr. Benard Shehu (1 hour later)

Brief Answer: Please refer to the answer below... Detailed Answer: Hi XXXXX, The enlarged heart you are experiencing right after giving birth is due to the pregnancy. We call it "post-partum cardio-myopathy). The 6.3 cm of diameter is near the normal range (upper limit). Please bare in mind that we can index it according to the body mass index and your actual height. Could you please send in all by attachment the echo results as I need to know other parameters to assist you further. In addition, the actual function of your heart, ejection fraction and shortness fraction are evaluated to in the ECHO results. They both are the most important indexes for heart failure. That's why I am asking echo results to evaluate all the parameters. It is good that you are showing improvement with the current medications you are taking. I suggest to always keep in touch with your cardiologist. Looking forward to have the entire results of your cardiac echo. Dr.Benard

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D