Question on Heart Size

[Prada47]

Hello

I know I have a generous heart or so I am told !!! Just looking at a very recent Chest X ray and it says " Lungs appear Clear "

" Heart Size is at the Upper Limit of Normal "

I wonder what that means and why was it on the report, anyone know the answer to this ???

Regards

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star]

Not too sure, Frank, but hearts can swell when they're struggling and that, in turn, can make them less efficient. I know my heart was very oversized when first diagnosed and did get slightly smaller (though not back to normal) on meds. So possibly this is not new information about your heart, just something they hadn't specifically mentioned before?

[Prada47 in reply to laura_dropstitch]

Thanks Laura, Laura I don't need any reply you keep your strength up Frank

It just surprised me to see it in print (sort of ) I am waiting on an MRI, Cardiologist wants to see if it is worth the Risk to open a Branch of my RCA via my Circumflex artery. The RCA is still 100% blocked and the Risk of opening it through Rotablation is a little to risky for the reward it may offer, but the branch may be worth it.

My Heart Failure Nurse said I am at the end of the road for current Medication, Maxed out on Entresto and Bisoprolol She followed that up by saying your to old for a Transplant but we will still look at Mechanical Interventions. Overall I don't think I am to bad off compared to a lot of other people. I think I am still around the 40% ef just the getting short of breath for no apparent reason is a little concern. I meet the NICE guidelines for a CRT but they want to hold off for now. The gap on an ECG for QRS is still widening which is something they monitor by all accounts, but hey ho just take it as it comes lol

Just opened todays mail and a letter from Cardiologist cc my GP

When these letters start " I have reviewed this 74 Gentleman " I always think they have the wrong person lol

it does very much sound like he has angina again but we know he has complex coronary anatomy. Please start him on Isosorbide. I note his last cholesterol check was 2018 and his LDL was to high given his risk factors. I would be grateful if you could repeat a cholesterol and titrate his Statin therapy and adding in Ezetimibe if needed to aim for an LDL of less than 1.4. I am arranging a Cardiac Stress MRI to assess any new ischemia to guide interventional approach

Dr ....... Cardiac Fellow to Dr ......

So moving along again

Frank

[Hidden]

Hi Prada, I have been told that my heart is rather large. The consultant speculated that it was probably due to having long-term high blood pressure. They were not concerned about it and just mentioned it in passing.

[Prada47 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for the reply I was just surprised to see it , I do have Heart Failure and I thought it may be related. I could Google it but I prefer answers from experts i.e. forum members

Best Regards

[Hidden]

Dear Prada47,

I to was told that I have an enlarged heart, but it seems that this is quite common with heart failure [ so I was told ] I was a bit surprised at this as my mum died from a heart attack and an enlarged heart was down on her report.

I was placed on spironolactone along with countless other drugs and was told that this may help the heart to regain part of its shape { the heart being out of shape being the enlarged part } this of course is only what nurses have told me and I may have heard or am describing it wrong.

Good luck with your journey, mine has taken me on a hell of a ride that has ended up with me having longer time on this planet, that is something I will always be great full for.

[Alison_L]

We all know you're big-hearted, Frank. Just try not to let it get oversized

[pjw17]

Hello Prada,Well before my heart problems I was a racing cyclist, I had chest pains for a spell ended up having x ray then echo an enlarged heart was mentioned, I told my coach who was a sports scientist who then asked a Premier League footy teams doctor who said the heart is a muscle and if trained it will enlarge. I got the OK to carry on training and racing which I did for another 9 years.

With the onset of my heart problems it's never been mentioned about heart size, unless my heart atrophied in the 8 years I stopped intensive training an racing before heart problems.

Everybody is different, as well as the experts diagnosis!!!