Symptoms and Signs
The symptoms and signs of hypertensive heart disease will depend on whether or not it is accompanied by heart failure. In the absence of heart failure, hypertension, with or without enlargement of the heart (left ventricular hypertrophy) is usually symptomless. Symptoms and signs of chronic heart failure can include:
- Fatigue
- Irregular pulse or palpitations
- Swelling of feet and ankles
- Weight gain
- Nausea
- Shortness of breath
- Difficulty sleeping flat in bed (orthopnea)
- Bloating and abdominal pain
- Greater need to urinate at night
- Altered mentation (in severe cases)
- An enlarged heart (cardiomegaly)
Patients can present acutely with heart failure and pulmonary edema due to sudden failure of pump function of the heart. Acute heart failure can be precipitated by a variety of causes including myocardial ischemia, marked increases in blood pressure, or cardiac dysrhythmias, especially atrial fibrillation. Alternatively heart failure can develop insidiously over time.
Read more about this topic: Hypertensive Heart Disease
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