Which statement best describes eccentric hypertrophy in comparison to concentric hypertrophy?

Which statement best describes eccentric hypertrophy in comparison to concentric hypertrophy?

• A. Eccentric hypertrophy enlarges chamber size and improves stroke volume.
• B. Eccentric hypertrophy thickens the walls, increasing contractility but reducing chamber size.
• C. Concentric hypertrophy enlarges chamber size and improves stroke volume.
• D. Concentric hypertrophy thickens the walls and reduces chamber size efficiency.

Answer: (A)

Eccentric hypertrophy occurs when the heart adapts to volume overload, so the ventricle dilates and the chamber size increases. This enlargement allows a greater end-diastolic volume, which can raise stroke volume as the heart fills more and pumps out more blood. The wall may thicken to a degree, but the defining feature is the increased chamber size rather than a markedly thicker wall. The other statements mix up which type of hypertrophy causes chamber enlargement versus wall thickening and reduced chamber size—eccentric is about dilation with a relatively preserved or modestly increased wall, not a thickened, smaller chamber. So describing eccentric hypertrophy as enlarging the chamber and improving stroke volume best fits the physiological adaptation.

Eccentric hypertrophy occurs when the heart adapts to volume overload, so the ventricle dilates and the chamber size increases. This enlargement allows a greater end-diastolic volume, which can raise stroke volume as the heart fills more and pumps out more blood. The wall may thicken to a degree, but the defining feature is the increased chamber size rather than a markedly thicker wall. The other statements mix up which type of hypertrophy causes chamber enlargement versus wall thickening and reduced chamber size—eccentric is about dilation with a relatively preserved or modestly increased wall, not a thickened, smaller chamber. So describing eccentric hypertrophy as enlarging the chamber and improving stroke volume best fits the physiological adaptation.