Risk Factors And Causes Of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy

Increased Weight

There are various ways in which increased weight can increase the risk of the development of left ventricular hypertrophy. Individuals who are overweight or obese will have higher blood pressure due to increased blood volume. These individuals also have an increased amount of adipose or fat tissue that necessitates greater metabolic requirements, more cardiac output, and vascularity. Overweight or obese individuals also have an increased intake of calories than individuals of a healthy weight. Increase caloric intake means the individual has an increased sodium intake. Sodium causes the body to retain fluid, and fluid retention puts more pressure and resistance on the blood when it moves through blood vessels. Furthermore, factors of an overweight or obese individual's immune system will infiltrate the growing adipose or fat tissues, which causes the body to have irregular metabolic function accompanied by inflammation. Inflammation combined with metabolic alterations causes more significant damage to blood vessels and organs around the body precipitated from high blood pressure. Consequences of excess fat tissue are commonly found to cause the development of left ventricular hypertrophy.