1) Alcoholic cardiomyopathy: Although the current mechanism is not understood, it is a certainty that chronic alcohol abuse can lead to an enlarged heart. Bigger is not always better in this case.
2) Atherosclerosis: Clinically defined as the hardening of the blood vessels due to diabetes mellitus, smoking, high cholesterol, and chronic high blood pressure, forces the heart to pump harder in order to keep blood flow normal.
3) Hypertension: Clinically defined as anything more than 140/90. The heart has to pump harder in order to overcome the pressure of chronically constricted vessels. Much like a muscle, it gets bigger with this increased workload.
4) Chronic cocaine abuse: Causes an increase in heart rate and increased oxygen consumption of the heart. This chronic abuse leads to dilation of the heart in a mechanism similar to hypertension.
5) Coxsackie B virus myocarditis: Enterovirus infections are responsible for about 30% of the cases of acquired dilated cardiomyopathy in humans. Coxsackie B virus can cause inflammation of the myocardium of the heart and most commonly occurs after eating contaminated food.
Written by: Student Doctor Navpreet Singh Badesha
