A patient with hypertension comes to the office complaining of occasional palpitations. You obtain a 12-lead electrocardiogram which does not show an explanation for his palpitations, although it does reveal left ventricular hypertrophy. What can you conclude from this?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Left ventricular hypertrophy, or enlargement of the muscle mass left ventricle of the heart, is a common complication of long-standing hypertension. The left ventricular myocardium increases in mass in response to increasing afterload. LVH is considered to be the first stage of heart failure; it is an example of organ damage in patients with hypertension. The presence of LVH suggests that the treatment of this patient should proceed without delay.

A Patient with Hypertension Comes to the Office Complaining of Occasional