Left ventricular hypertrophy is a result of chronic hypertension. Which term describes this growth?

Left ventricular hypertrophy is a result of chronic hypertension. Which term describes this growth?

• A. Hypertrophy
• B. Hypertension
• C. Infiltration
• D. Infusion

Answer: (A)

Growth of heart muscle in response to increased workload is hypertrophy. In chronic hypertension the left ventricle faces higher afterload, so the cardiac muscle cells enlarge to generate more force, producing thicker walls. This is an adaptive change, not the condition of hypertension itself, and not infiltration (substance deposits) or infusion (fluid introduction). In this context the enlargement is typically a concentric hypertrophy, where wall thickness increases to cope with pressure overload.

Growth of heart muscle in response to increased workload is hypertrophy. In chronic hypertension the left ventricle faces higher afterload, so the cardiac muscle cells enlarge to generate more force, producing thicker walls. This is an adaptive change, not the condition of hypertension itself, and not infiltration (substance deposits) or infusion (fluid introduction). In this context the enlargement is typically a concentric hypertrophy, where wall thickness increases to cope with pressure overload.