What are the consequences of an enlarged heart following a heart attack in humans?

Answer 1

I am afraid the good doctor is not quite right either.
"After myocardial infarction (MI), the left ventricle (LV) undergoes ventricular remodeling characterized by progressive global dilation, infarct expansion, and compensatory hypertrophy of the noninfarcted myocardium."

Okay, what does all of that mean? The part of the heart that pumps blood to the rest of the body (left ventricle) does get larger (dilitation). There also is a "beefing up" of the heart muscle (hypertrophy) in the areas that were not injured as a way to compensate for the injury.

The consequences of an enlarged heart can vary substantially from patient to patient depending on their particular circumstances, extent of the injury, etc. Regardless as you can imagine, more muscle requires more blood supply and this fact alone can prompt further ischemic (lack of blood supply to the heart muscle) dysfunction.

Medications (b-blockers and ACE inhibitors) have been shown to be helpful in reducing dysfunctional remodeling after an MI. This one of the reasons why a patient will come home on a half dozen medications after having a heart attack and often wonder "What's all of this new medicine? I wasn't on anything before. Do I really need all of these medications?" The short answer is, yes.

Answer 2

Sorry to say that the above respondent didn't answered correctly as after every myocardial infarction, the left ventricle undergoes mild enlargement NOT hypertrophy. This is a transient period a compensatory mechanism provided by nature. It goes away after a few months.
IT IS NOT AT ALL DANGEROUS AFTER 6 WEEKS AS COLLATERAL CIRCULATION DEVELOPS IN THE INFARCTED AREA OF THE MYOCARDIUM if it's the first attack .

If the patient is already having cardiomegaly than multiple complications of heart like arrhythmia's, extra systoles, which in turn can lead to CCF (congestive cardiac failure).

Answer 3

an enlarged heart following an MI usually indicates some sort of heart muscle failure. This can be controlled with medications and monitoring. But someone with an enlarged heart may not be able to do all the things they use to be able to do like get short of breath with acitity, thier legs/ankles may swell, and they may feel tire most of the time.

Answer 4

sounds like congestive heart failure.my husband was diagnosed with this last year when he went to the o.r. for what he thought was an asthma attack.he has not been able to return to work.he has had to have a pacemaker.nothing goes back to normal.