What term describes the structural changes in heart muscle due to chronic pressure overload?

The term that describes the structural changes in heart muscle as a result of chronic pressure overload is hypertrophy. This process involves the thickening of the heart muscle due to increased workload. When the heart is subjected to sustained high blood pressure or other factors that force it to work harder, the muscle fibers increase in size, leading to hypertrophy.

Hypertrophy is a compensatory mechanism that the heart employs to maintain adequate function despite the increased demands placed on it. In the setting of chronic pressure overload, such as in hypertension or aortic stenosis, hypertrophy allows the heart to generate more forceful contractions and maintain cardiac output. However, while initial hypertrophy can be beneficial, prolonged pressure overload can lead to adverse outcomes, including heart failure, as the muscle may become less compliant and less effective over time.

In contrast, dilation refers to the enlargement of the heart chambers often associated with volume overload, chamber remodeling describes the overall changes in the structure of the heart including both hypertrophy and dilation, and atrophy indicates a decrease in size or wasting away of muscle. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for recognizing how the heart adapts to various forms of stress.