Cor pulmonale involves hypertrophy of which heart chamber?

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Multiple Choice

Cor pulmonale involves hypertrophy of which heart chamber?

Cor pulmonale is the right ventricle enlarging and thickening in response to chronically elevated pressure in the pulmonary arteries. When the lungs have disease, the pulmonary vessels resist blood flow more, raising the afterload on the right ventricle. To pump against this higher pressure, the right ventricular wall grows thicker through hypertrophy. Over time this can lead to right-sided heart failure if the underlying lung problem isn’t treated. The primary adaptation is in the right ventricle, not the left-sided chambers, which is why that chamber is the one that hypertrophies.

Cor pulmonale is the right ventricle enlarging and thickening in response to chronically elevated pressure in the pulmonary arteries. When the lungs have disease, the pulmonary vessels resist blood flow more, raising the afterload on the right ventricle. To pump against this higher pressure, the right ventricular wall grows thicker through hypertrophy. Over time this can lead to right-sided heart failure if the underlying lung problem isn’t treated. The primary adaptation is in the right ventricle, not the left-sided chambers, which is why that chamber is the one that hypertrophies.

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