Bio 2452K Myocardiac Hypertrophy

Dr. Benson
April 16, 2015

Cardiac Hypertrophy is short of Myocardiac Hypertrophy, the prefix Myoindicates that the disease is related to the muscle of the heart. Cardiac Hypertrophy is the
enhancement of the heart muscle, which could lead to hypertension. This should be a
focus to many doctors, nurses, and much other health related fields because hypertension
is directly related to high blood pressure. The significance this has to the general
population is that obese/overweight people are more likely to have hypertension. The
national institute and health in the United States had found, More than 2 in 3 adults are
considered to be overweight or obese that had taken a survey. [1]
Cardiac Hypertrophy deals with the enlargement of the heart muscle a more in
depth analysis has to be observed, the heart is surrounded by a cytoskeleton which helps
give the heart its shape. The cytoskeleton is composed of three main components:
Microfilaments which are protein myosin helps with contraction, Microtubules which
help with the cells shape, and Intermediate Filaments which gives strength to the cell.
The main cause of Cardiac Hypertrophy is when microtubules built up myocytes, which
could cause the heart to obtain its abnormal shape or not function properly. Other causes
of Cardiac Hypertrophy include stress, and genetics, however our society is more
introduced to unhealthy eating which later causes people to become overweight/obese.
These people put lots of pressure into their heart, which causes the flow of blood to

increase so that the body may function properly. When the blood flow increases it causes
the myocardium to increase in size, which leads to cardiac arrest and heart failure.
Myocardiac Hypertrophy symptoms include arrhythmia, fainting, Shortness of
breath and fatigue, Chest pain occurs with exercise or physical activity, but also may
occur with rest or after meals. [2] Main initiative steps are usually taken for diagnostics
or to help determine if someone has that condition such as the doctor who is examining
you may test your lungs and heart to see if they are functioning properly or,
echocardiogram as the characteristic thickening of the heart walls is usually visible on
the echo. Other tests may include blood tests, electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, exercise
stress echo test, cardiac catheterization and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). [2] All
these test are essential to doctors and many patients to know ahead of time if the muscles
in their hearts are expanding. The sooner they find out the higher chances of finding a
way to help cure their disease.
There are many treatments to help cure a person who is going through
Myocardiac Hypertrophy, each with its own reasoning behind it. To those whom are not
comfortable with having medications or other medical treatments that the doctor
prescribe there are other ways of reducing the amount of blood being pumped to the
heart, including watching the amount of salt in take and fluid by following a strict diet, or
doing different types of exercise that helps both the shape of your body as well as
maintaining you breathing (cardio/aerobic exercises), and by having regular check ups
could possibly help reduce the disease without taking certain medications, but to those
whom either have extreme cases or just want to relieve the pain other treatments such as

Medications such as beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers relax the heart
muscle.[2] Which are mainly used to control the amount of blood in and out of the heart
to have a more controlled heart rhythm, and to those that may have even more extreme
cases either go through, Septal myectomy: removes a small amount of the thickened
septal wall to widen the outflow tract, Ethanol Ablation, and ICD.[2] These cases are
mainly used for people who have a risk of having that sudden cardiac arrest or which may
lead to death.
As Myocardiac Hypertrophy might be a concern to the general population many
researches are helping in order to help reduce the disease in a way that would be both
most effective and effortless to both the patient and doctor performing the treatment.
Copper supplementation recovers cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) activityalong with the
regression of cardiac hypertrophy and the recovery of cardiac contractile function. [3]
Which basically states that a person who goes through this disease shows a decrease in
the amount of copper in the heart, which was a critical role for the heart to function
properly, meaning different so-called copper supplementation could help reduce the
inflammation of the heart, another way was by using microRNAs. miR-378 was found
to be both necessary and sufficient to repress cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.[4] Which was
used in order to help manage the heart in order to stabilize it. As time passes more
research experiments are being done in a more versatile way such that it may enhance the
outcome of the cure.
Research and Development is a fast growing industry, these researchers will
expand their expertise in different fields of science in order to find a cure to certain
diseases/viruses. Research is mainly based off data others have accumulated over the

years and expanding them even more based upon new creations. As for these cures for
Myocardiac Hypertrophy, its only the beginning since more modern advance
medications are being discovered. Even though majority of these research experiments
deal with the background on the human body itself, Chemistry is a vital role in these
research experiments not only on how these so called cures will be made but how
exactly will it be received. As a chemistry major I plan on becoming a pharmacist,
however I am also planning on minoring in research and development in order to expand
my knowledge on new advance medication, and developing these products to find a more
suitable way to give to the general population.

Reference:

[1] "Overweight and Obesity Statistics." Overweight and Obesity Statistics. National
Institutes of Health: NIH Publication No. 044158, 1 Oct. 2012. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/Pages/overweightobesity-statistics.aspx>.

[2] "Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy." Cleveland Clinic. 1 June 2013. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
<http://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/heart/disorders/hcm>.

[3] Zheng, Lily, Pengfei Han, Jiaming Liu, Rui Li, Wen Yin, Tao Wang, Wenjing Zhang,
and Y. James Kang. "Role of Copper in Regression of Cardiac Hypertrophy."
Pharmacology & Therapeutics 148 (2014): 66-84. Sciencedirect. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163725814002149>.

[4] Ganesan, J., D. Ramanujam, Y. Sassi, A. Ahles, C. Jentzsch, S. Werfel, S. Leierseder,

X. Loyer, M. Giacca, L. Zentilin, T. Thum, B. Laggerbauer, and S. Engelhardt. "MiR-378
Controls Cardiac Hypertrophy by Combined Repression of Mitogen-Activated Protein
Kinase Pathway Factors." Circulation 127.21 (2013): 2097-106. American Heart
Association. Web. 19 Apr. 2015. <http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/127/21.toc>.

"Cardiac Hypertrophy." Cardiac Hypertrophy. USC Cardiothoracic Surgery. Web. 19 Apr.

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Frey, N., H. Katus, E. Olson, and J. Hill. "Hypertrophy of the Heart: A New Therapeutic
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"Welcome to Fabry Community." Cardiac Dysfunction. Genzyme Corporation. Web. 19

Apr. 2015.
<http://www.fabrycommunity.com/en/Healthcare/About/Symptoms/CardiacDysfunction.
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Morris, James, and Daniel L. Hartl. "Cell Form and Function: Cytoskeleton, Cellular
Junctions, and Extracellular Matrix." Biology: How Life Works. Vol. Chapter 10. Susan
Winslow, 2013. 10-5 - 10-7. Print.