One of the side effects of steroid use is organ hypertrophy, but honestly, why is that bad? Like, wouldn’t a heart hypertrophy mean your body can circulate more blood with each beat? Why is that necessary bad?
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I believe hypertrophy is an indicator that something bad is happening less so than hypertrophy causing bad things to happen.
I think it differs by organ and context. Hypertrophy occurs in the heart as it does with any muscle – you give it more work to do, and it gets larger. With the liver, the hypertrophy represents scar tissue. The liver can minimally heal itself, and in the process leaves excess scar tissue behind. And in the spleen, it’s because there’s extra blood products that’s causing it to fill up.
You mentioned the heart specifically. I’ll note two things about that here:
1. Heart hypertrophy commonly happens when the heart has to use more effort to push blood along. This can happen if the aortic valve is stuck shut, or if blood pressure is really high. Just like your glutes, if there’s more work put in over a period of time, the heart muscle will grow. In these cases, whatever’s causing the hypertrophy should be investigated.
2. If the heart keeps growing, it can start causing its own problems. For one, swole muscles of the heart wall can get in the way of heart valves, causing them to lose function. Second, ventricles can get so swole that muscle starts taking up area where empty space should be. When this happens, the chamber can’t hold enough blood, and the blood gets backed up into the atria. If the backup occurs for long enough, the atria begin dilating, leading to increased risk of arrhythmias. On top of that, if the ventricles can’t hold a lot of blood at once, then they can’t pump a lot of blood to your body either. It’s a whole thing.
I believe hypertrophy is an indicator that something bad is happening less so than hypertrophy causing bad things to happen.
I think it differs by organ and context. Hypertrophy occurs in the heart as it does with any muscle – you give it more work to do, and it gets larger. With the liver, the hypertrophy represents scar tissue. The liver can minimally heal itself, and in the process leaves excess scar tissue behind. And in the spleen, it’s because there’s extra blood products that’s causing it to fill up.
You mentioned the heart specifically. I’ll note two things about that here:
1. Heart hypertrophy commonly happens when the heart has to use more effort to push blood along. This can happen if the aortic valve is stuck shut, or if blood pressure is really high. Just like your glutes, if there’s more work put in over a period of time, the heart muscle will grow. In these cases, whatever’s causing the hypertrophy should be investigated.
2. If the heart keeps growing, it can start causing its own problems. For one, swole muscles of the heart wall can get in the way of heart valves, causing them to lose function. Second, ventricles can get so swole that muscle starts taking up area where empty space should be. When this happens, the chamber can’t hold enough blood, and the blood gets backed up into the atria. If the backup occurs for long enough, the atria begin dilating, leading to increased risk of arrhythmias. On top of that, if the ventricles can’t hold a lot of blood at once, then they can’t pump a lot of blood to your body either. It’s a whole thing.
There’s different reasons for different organs, but a lot of it is that the increased size isn’t from increased functional parts, but from fat infiltration etc.
So you’ve got a car, and its now been enlarged. But its been enlarged by an idiot, who just used whatever he had lying around – its extended with wood and bricks and random bits of welded metal. Sure its bigger, but its not going to work as well.
There’s different reasons for different organs, but a lot of it is that the increased size isn’t from increased functional parts, but from fat infiltration etc.
So you’ve got a car, and its now been enlarged. But its been enlarged by an idiot, who just used whatever he had lying around – its extended with wood and bricks and random bits of welded metal. Sure its bigger, but its not going to work as well.
Another commenter has tackled the heart specifically, but on a more general note if your organs get bigger, the volume they displace still has to go somewhere, and there is only so far that the ribs and the chest can bulge to accommodate. So they start pressing and compressing on other organs, which can be dangerous.
As an example, a larger liver is not harmful in itself, but if that causes it to press into your lungs or your guts, then that can cause breathing or digestion problems.
ELI5 version: you have a box that fits exactly 10 golf balls, and the lid fits perfectly. Now try and replace those 10 golf balls with tennis balls and try and get the lid on without squashing anything or pushing the sides or lid out
Another commenter has tackled the heart specifically, but on a more general note if your organs get bigger, the volume they displace still has to go somewhere, and there is only so far that the ribs and the chest can bulge to accommodate. So they start pressing and compressing on other organs, which can be dangerous.
As an example, a larger liver is not harmful in itself, but if that causes it to press into your lungs or your guts, then that can cause breathing or digestion problems.
ELI5 version: you have a box that fits exactly 10 golf balls, and the lid fits perfectly. Now try and replace those 10 golf balls with tennis balls and try and get the lid on without squashing anything or pushing the sides or lid out
For the heart specifically, hypertrophy makes the chambers smaller, so each pump actually moves less blood, which makes it work harder, which makes the hypertrophy worse….
My bff’s dad died of this. The surgeon said his chamber walls were so thick they were touching.
For the heart specifically, hypertrophy makes the chambers smaller, so each pump actually moves less blood, which makes it work harder, which makes the hypertrophy worse….
My bff’s dad died of this. The surgeon said his chamber walls were so thick they were touching.
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