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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Enlarged Heart, How Big Can It Get ?

How big can an enlarged heart get and a person still stay alive? I read where some athletes experience 40% enlargement. Is it possible for a heart to be 3 times larger and a person survive? For how long? Thanks!
posted on Fri, 18 Dec 2009
Twitter Sun, 20 Dec 2009 Answered on
Twitter Sun, 20 Dec 2009 Last reviewed on
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Enlargement of the heart as the sole cause of death is impossible. Heart enlarges in the after prolonged stress to uncontrolled hypertension, compromised valves, inflammation, and long term or chronic ischemia(ineffective blood supply at the coronary vessels). When a certain heart enlarges, no drug can ever reduced back its size to its original. The only thing we doctors can do is to prevent its further enlargement by treating the actual cause of enlargement and treating its complication. Anyway, as I told you, it won't be a sole cause of death of person. Therefore, you can have a huge heart and still can survive.
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Enlarged Heart, How Big Can It Get ?

Enlargement of the heart as the sole cause of death is impossible. Heart enlarges in the after prolonged stress to uncontrolled hypertension, compromised valves, inflammation, and long term or chronic ischemia(ineffective blood supply at the coronary vessels). When a certain heart enlarges, no drug can ever reduced back its size to its original. The only thing we doctors can do is to prevent its further enlargement by treating the actual cause of enlargement and treating its complication. Anyway, as I told you, it won t be a sole cause of death of person. Therefore, you can have a huge heart and still can survive.