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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Re: Enlarged Heart
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.
Re: Enlarged Heart
by CCF Cardio MD - MTR, Jan 01, 1995 12:00AM
Posted By CCF CARDIO MD - MTR on October 12, 1998 at 10:16:38:
In Reply to: Enlarged Heart posted by Cindy on October 10, 1998 at 21:06:49:
What is enlarged heart and what should someone with enlarged heart be concerned about? My brother has enlarged heart since birth and has just been diagnosed with very high blood pressure...192/153. Is this something that could be associated with enlarged heart? He is 39 years old, over weight and a non smoker. He works a very strenuous job but not enough to keep the diet he maintains from accumulating around his middle. Please point me in the right direction so that I might be able to enlighten him about his present condition, considering he was "Too much a Man" to ask the doc. I know he is scared, he started with blood pressure meds today. Anything you have to offer would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Cindy
Dear Cindy, thank you for your question. I'm not sure what the diagnosis of an enlarged heart means for your brother. If he indeed have an enlarged heart at birth, that means he should have had a congenital cardiac disorder that should have produced symptoms of congestive heart failure by now. His blood pressure is quite high and needs immediate attention. I'm not sure if the high blood pressure is related to his enlarged heart, but it certainly will worsen any underlying cardiac condition. In addition to taking blood pressure medications, your brother should lose weight, exercise daily, and avoid salt to help with his blood pressure. I also think it would help for your brother to get a home blood pressure monitor to record his blood pressure a few times a week at home. He should then bring in his log of blood pressure checks each time he visits his physician.
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.
In Reply to: Enlarged Heart posted by Cindy on October 10, 1998 at 21:06:49:
What is enlarged heart and what should someone with enlarged heart be concerned about? My brother has enlarged heart since birth and has just been diagnosed with very high blood pressure...192/153. Is this something that could be associated with enlarged heart? He is 39 years old, over weight and a non smoker. He works a very strenuous job but not enough to keep the diet he maintains from accumulating around his middle. Please point me in the right direction so that I might be able to enlighten him about his present condition, considering he was "Too much a Man" to ask the doc. I know he is scared, he started with blood pressure meds today. Anything you have to offer would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Cindy
Dear Cindy, thank you for your question. I'm not sure what the diagnosis of an enlarged heart means for your brother. If he indeed have an enlarged heart at birth, that means he should have had a congenital cardiac disorder that should have produced symptoms of congestive heart failure by now. His blood pressure is quite high and needs immediate attention. I'm not sure if the high blood pressure is related to his enlarged heart, but it certainly will worsen any underlying cardiac condition. In addition to taking blood pressure medications, your brother should lose weight, exercise daily, and avoid salt to help with his blood pressure. I also think it would help for your brother to get a home blood pressure monitor to record his blood pressure a few times a week at home. He should then bring in his log of blood pressure checks each time he visits his physician.
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.
