Diet and exercise

[Rus850]

Can diet and exercise help an enlarged heart?

[Dr Santos]

Hi,

Cardiomegaly or enlarged heart is not a disease but a sign of an underlying problem. IThis may be due to any of the following: high blood pressure, heart valve disorders, cardiomyopathy, severe anemia, thyroid disorders, excessive iron in the body or abnormal protein buildup in an organ.  Treatment is usually directed at the underlying cause. The usual main stay of treatment are medications prescribed by the doctor. While low salt low fat diet are generally recommended, the type of exercise needs to be cleared first with the cardiologist and it will depend on the cause of the enlarged heart.

Take care and regards.

[Encephalomalcia]

Diet can help.  Fresh fruit and vegetables and limit meat especially red meat.  Because you have an enlarged heart you have to be very strict with your diet.  No processed foods, no lunch meat, no smoked meat, no hotdogs, no canned foods (full of salt).  No eating out in restaurants especially fast food restaurants (full of salt and fat).  Eat bread and potato without butter or margarine.  If you eat organic vegetables, they taste a lot better and feel a lot better on the stomach and digestion.  Blood pressure needs to stay down, along with cholesterol.  As far as I have read, there is no proven exercise that can help an enlarged heart.  Exercise can make a person feel better, but it does not actually help improve the enlarged heart.  A strict diet can really help.