Causes of hypertrophy

Hypertrophy can be caused by different mechanisms. Messenger substances (hormones) can trigger hypertrophy. For example, there are a number of growth factors such as “growth hormone” (growth hormone), which are released during growth phases in childhood and lead to the growth of bones, muscles and other organs.

Sex hormones not only lead to the formation and growth of primary and secondary sexual characteristics, but also to muscle growth in the case of male sex hormones. The long-term effects of sex hormones lead to the clinical picture of prostate hyperplasia, which is very common among older men. However, hypertrophy can also be caused by metabolic and mechanical stimuli.Thus, increased mechanical stress with damage to the cells leads to hypertrophy of the muscles, while endurance stress leads to hypertrophy of the heart.

However, hypertrophy can also be pathological. Some heart diseases are accompanied by hypertrophy as compensation, and excessive hypertrophy of the heart due to sport can also lead to pathological changes in the heart. Another example is hypertrophy of the thyroid gland in Graves’ disease, in which the thyroid gland is strongly stimulated and hypertrophied by a malfunction of the immune system.

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