Prognosis
Thickening of the heart muscle is not a curable disease. Since the mechanism of its development is very complex and various factors contribute to it, it is not always easy to adjust, especially in the late stages. However, if it is discovered in the early stages, suitable medication and an adapted lifestyle can prevent or significantly slow down the progression of the disease. Life expectancy is then not significantly reduced. However, a thickening of the heart muscle diagnosed at a very late stage, which has already manifested itself through a variety of symptoms, can be accompanied by serious complications and can also lead to sudden cardiac death.
Sports
Patients suffering from a thickening of the heart muscle should avoid heavy physical exertion, as otherwise the heart is quickly overtaxed. Competitive and competitive sports should not be practiced. Some athletes have already died of myocardial thickening in the meantime, even without knowing about their disease beforehand.
This is the treacherous thing about myocardial thickening. The first symptom may be sudden cardiac death. However, a thickening of the heart muscle can also be caused by sport and does not automatically mean that the patient is ill. People who do a lot of physical activity do a lot of muscle work.
The heart then also pumps faster and more powerfully to supply the body with sufficient oxygen and nutrients. In the long run, the heart adapts to the high workload and thickens. This means that it can work more efficiently under stress. It can then pump more volume through the body with one heartbeat and therefore has to beat less overall. This is impressively demonstrated by the low resting heart rate of competitive athletes.
Thickening of the heart muscle due to high blood pressure
A thickening of the heart muscle can be caused by high blood pressure. High blood pressure (arterial hypertension) is the most common cause of the disease. 20-60% of patients with chronic high blood pressure develop a thickening of the heart muscle, which then particularly affects the left ventricle (left ventricular hypertrophy).
Due to the constant pressure load, the heart adapts and thickens. As a result, the size of the chamber decreases, so that the heart can fill less. The thick heart muscle wall is no longer as elastic, which means that the heart cannot relax as well during the relaxation phase.
As a result, the ejection capacity of the heart decreases. This is only noticed by the patient once a certain degree of severity is reached. Initially, the disease can proceed without symptoms.
Later on, symptoms occur, especially under stress. A thickening of the heart muscle is a risk factor for various cardiovascular diseases, or various complications that can result from the thickening of the heart muscle. Initially, from a certain degree of myocardial hypertrophy, a general cardiac insufficiency occurs.
In this state, the heart is no longer able to supply the body with sufficient blood and thus with oxygen and nutrients in all situations. Initially, patients experience a performance kink, shortness of breath and cardiac arrhythmia, especially under physical stress. In advanced stages of the disease, the symptoms can also occur at rest.
Patients are then hardly able to do any physical activity and often cannot even climb stairs. In addition, the risk of suffering a heart attack is increased in the presence of a thickening of the heart muscle. If a heart attack has taken place, it is often less well tolerated by patients with heart muscle thickening than by patients with heart attacks without this condition.