Cardiovascular disease;  Hypertension

Hypertrophy is a structural response of an anatomic chamber, particularly the right and left cardiac ventricles, to chronically increased volumes or pressures. Left ventricular hypertrophy has been shown to be independently predictive of coronary heart disease onset and is associated with common conditions such as hypertension (high blood pressure) and cardiac valvular dysfunction (Maron, Ridker, Grundy, & Pearson, 2010). While hypertrophy is initially an adaptive mechanism for the heart, the chronic enlargement leads to unsustainable pressures and deformation that impedes contraction and relaxation. Serial measurements of hypertrophy can be helpful in primary and secondary prevention for cardiovascular events.