Historically, an enlarged heart, known medically as a Cardiomegaly, has been a danger sign of heart disease in humans. While the condition can be caused by high blood pressure, having an enlarged heart doesn’t necessarily mean you should panic if you are active.
Scientists have suggested that exercising for more than three hours a week can cause your heart to grow just like that on an elite athlete. For your body to work at its optimum potential, your organs need to respond and one way to get them to do this is to pump more blood. This process, however, has been causing misdiagnosis problems for doctors, as perfectly healthy adults have been told they are suffering from heart disease.
Research suggests that until now we did not know the full extent of how an average person’s heart adapts to moderate exercise. However, the tests carried out show we react exactly the same way as athletes. The research has prompted scientists to tell doctors that they should now consider a patient’s activity levels, age, weight, height and family history before diagnosing heart conditions.
One of the lead scientists in the study, Dr Declan O’Regan spoke of the common misconceptions faced when diagnosing heart disease. He said “This study was based on an everyday clinical problem. We frequently look at cardiac scans where people have enlarged hearts, and whilst they may have a family history of heart disease, they also do regular exercise. So the question is, have they actually got inherited heart disease, or is it just that they’re active?”
Misdiagnosis & medical negligence
Misdiagnosing somebody and placing them on a certain course of treatment can be very dangerous dependant on the condition, treatment or medication prescribed. With a person’s heart being such an important organ, prescribing unnecessary or incorrect medication could lead to life threatening consequences.
Previous clients with misdiagnosis cases at Scott Rees & Co have suffered quite serious complications, especially when related to vital organs. The nature of medication is to treat a particular ailment. However when medication is used when not needed, it can cause unusual responses from the body or create further, possibly fatal, ailments. This applies to both misdiagnosis and over prescription of drugs.
If you, a family member or friend has been misdiagnosed, heart related or otherwise, you can take legal action against those responsible. Scott Rees & Co has a dedicated, expert medical negligence team with years of experience. If we can help you, or anybody you know, give us a call on 0808 223 2773 or make your claim right away by using our online claim form here.
We offer a no win no fee service, which means you will not have to pay a penny if your claim is unsuccessful. All initial advice is offered for free, with no obligation to make a claim should you wish not to. You can also arrange for us to call you at a more convenient time using our , request a call back service.
1. Public-Domain-Images.com, http://www.public-domain-image.com/free-images/sport/fitness-and-jogging/pilates-exercise.jpg