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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Hypertrophy, High Blood Pressure, ekg, echo, etc...
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
Hypertrophy, High Blood Pressure, ekg, echo, etc...
by SP__0, Jun 16, 1999 12:00AM
Posted by SP on June 16, 1999 at 12:13:01
I was hoping you could help me sort out some issues pertaining to some test results. I am a 21 year-old male who is about 15 pounds o/weight. I went to the doctor recently concerning palpitations. On visit, he found high blood pressure as well (140/86). Saw cardiologist with following test results:
hormone levels in 24 hour urine were normal ( for possible cause hypertension)
ekg was supposedly suggestive of mild LVH
echo shows normal heart (no hypertrophy, EF normal)
24 hour holter showed st segment changes (non specific) and some supraventricular and ventricular ectopy. I am starting med school in the fall, so I'm a little more knowledgable on some of these issues, so that's why I have a few questions
1) My doctor says I show signs of LVH (EKG) which can be accounted for by my mild hypertension, but the echo showed no ventricular enlargement, what gives here?
2) If i do have LVH, is this as serious as a cardiomyopathy (eg hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). Could the LVH cause palpitations.
3)If I have done some damage to my heart it has been in the last few years (poor college lifestyle), through exercise and diet is it possible for me to lower my BP and will any heart muscle damage "right" itself over time, or will I always be at risk of cardiac problems?
Sorry for the length, and Thanks for your time!!
SP
Posted by CCF CARDI OMD - CRC on June 16, 1999 at 16:22:44
Q: My doctor says I show signs of LVH (EKG) which can be accounted for by my mild hypertension, but the echo showed no ventricular enlargement, what gives here?
A: As you will soon learn there are a high number of “false positive” ECG results for LVH. There is a move away from calling LVH based on ECG criteria. In addition it is normal for young people to have increased voltage on their ECG.
Q: If i do have LVH, is this as serious as a cardiomyopathy (eg hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). Could the LVH cause palpitations.
A: You don’t have LVH and it dosen’t cause palpitations if you did.
Q: If I have done some damage to my heart it has been in the last few years (poor college lifestyle), through exercise and diet is it possible for me to lower my BP and will any heart muscle damage "right" itself over time, or will I always be at risk of cardiac problems?
A: Your blood pressure is a bit high and I would definitely make lifestyle changes now to avoid problems in the future.
Where are you going to medical school?
I hope you find this information useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions.
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
