Changes in the Left Ventricular Muscle Mass in Adolescents

In the resent short review are presented some of the main reasons for development of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). LVH is a multifactor condition caused mainly by arterial hypertension (AH). The changes in the target organs in AH are a function of the levels of blood pressure (BP) and the duration of the disease. The primary changes because of Arterial Hypertension (AH), independently to its etiology, start in the myocardium of the left ventricle (LV), the arterioles and small arteries of the systemic circulation. The vascular changes in AH are two types: expression of morphological adaptation to the increased BP, observed in the early stages – most often spasm, causing the subsequent changes in the organs, followed by the complications connected with the increased development of atherosclerosis in different vascular regions leading to ischemic heart disease, brainvessel disease, chronic arterial insufficiency, arrhythmia, sudden death. As a result to the increased requirements to the myocardium in AH, starts adaptive hypertrophy, which at the beginning improves the function of the left ventricle. With the start of the structural changes and remodeling the compensatory abilities of the LV lower and develop heart insufficiency. The increased LV pressure and enlarged muscle mass increase the oxygen needs of the myocardium, which additionally increase the requirements to the coronary blood stream. Some other additional factors which influence the LVH are discussed like physical development of the children, overweight and obesity. The diagnostic abilities of EKG and EchoCG are discussed for the proving of the LVH. EchoCG and Doppler EchoCG have significantly more abilities, as most informative index for LVH is the index of left ventricular muscle mass.