Left Ventricle Hypertrophy

So yesterday I went for my cardiac clearance, had an EKG and echocardiogram.  Today I checked my chart online and see I was diagnosed with Left Ventrical Hypertropy (LVH).   Never heard of this before so started looking it up.  Kind of scary, but it looks like a lot of barbaric patients have it, so it doesn't look like it will stop my having surgery.   Just wondering if any of you have experience with this?

Stupid autocorrect!   Obviously Bariatric not barbaric!  Lol

I kinda liked the barbaric comment!

I had a condition called "Right Bundle Branch Block," so I had to see a specialist, but it turns out it is common and asymptomatic, so I was good to go.  I hope your condition is equally benign.

best wishes,

Carol

Thanks Carol!

I don't have experience with this personally, but I do echocardiograms for a living, so I do know my fair share about LVH.  It can be very mild or cause major issues - as I'm sure you've found out from your internet searches.  Try not to let your mind go to the worst case scenario.  I am glad they did both an EKG and an echo.  Find out if they are diagnosing you with LVH based on the EKG, the echo or both.  The EKG looks at electrical voltage - higher voltages can indicate LVH.  The echo looks at the thickness of the part of the heart muscle between the left and right ventricle (the septum) and the muscle on the back side of the heart (we call it the posterior wall).  The echo is a more reliable tool for diagnosing LVH.  Some LVH is caused by high blood pressure - as the muscle is overworked by having to push harder against high pressure it gets bigger over time.  Some LVH is genetic - something you were born with.  

Here are a few things that you may want to consider asking your Doctor:

What did my septum and position wall measure? - normal walls measure about 1cm

Is one wall thicker than the other, or is it thick all the way around? - sometimes the septum will be thick and the postior wall will be normal size, sometimes the muscle is thick all around

is this causing an obstruction? - if the muscle is too thick (overall or even in a certain area) it may limit the amount of blood flow leaving the heart - like what happens when you clamp down on a water hose - the opening is smaller and the blood comes out faster.  

Do I have a heart murmur? - a murmur is a sound other than the normal lub-dub of the heart beating.  Most murmurs are caused by a valve that leaks or doesn't open well, but an obstruction can cause a murmur too (like how the sound of the water leaving the hose changes when you clamp down on it)

A few other things:

Obstructive LVH is what we echo techs get concerned about.  While some people get really short of breath or dizzy with exertion and chalk it up to being overweight, it can also be caused be caused by an obstruction.  

If you have high blood pressure - try to keep it under control - if you are on a prescription medication, take it as directed.

Don't get dehydrated - this is a bigger issue if you have obstructive LVH, but it's also a good general rule.

Sorry for the long post!  When it comes to your health, it helps to know what questions to ask!

Hi April, thanks so much for your post!  You gave me a lot to discuss with the doctor, which is great.  I'm 63 and do not have high blood pressure.  im pretty sure the diagnosis was based on the echo.  Thank you for taking the time to explain it all. 

Good news!  I just spoke with the surgeons office. They said I have a mild case and it won't affect my having surgery. I am so relieved, what a lousy two days of worrying!