Dear Doctor:
Once you have been diagnosed with an enlarged heart is it possible for it to go back to near normal size if the suspected cause is now under control? I had an uncontrolled fast heart rate for approx. 8-10 years before it was diagnosed. As I understand it the tachycardia caused my blood pressure to be high most of the time and caused my heart to become somewhat enlarged. My questions are:
- Can the enlargement of the heart be reversed?
- Should I have a repeat echocardiogram periodically?
I am a 45 year old female in otherwise good health. Thanks for your time.
Answer:
- Yes, it is possible to have return to normal parameters if the underlying problem was treated in time. If the condition had gone on for too long the changes are usually permanent.
- This would depend on the degree of damage and symptoms. It would not be unreasonable to obtain a yearly echo if there was a moderate amount of enlargement.
Reviewed: 4/03