title: [Left ventricular hypertrophy. Advantages and disadvantages].
abstract: The increase in left ventricular myocardial mass is a mechanism of adjustment of the ventricular pump to a normal process, such as growth or sports, or a pathological process (mechanical overload or cardiomyopathy). The associated geometrical changes tend to normalize systolic performance and/or strain--one of the main determinants of myocardial metabolic requirements. When left ventricular hypertrophy is inadequate quantitatively, geometrically and functionally, and when contractility and preload reserves are exhausted, the systolic performance of the ventricular pump becomes narrowly dependent upon the increased systolic strain. some types of "pathological" hypertrophy may ultimately result in alteration of myocardial intrinsic properties during contraction, relaxation and/or extension, and this in turn may induce or aggravate ventricular failure. The causes of left ventricular hypertrophy are imperfectly known, the views most commonly held being metabolic imbalance of the myocardium due to increased demands, and reduction of coronary reserve and exchange capacities.
mesh_terms: D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000503:physiopathology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology
vernacular_title: Hypertrophie ventriculaire gauche. Avantages et inconvénients.