Thickening of cardiac muscle with aging is called what?

• A. Cardiac Dilation
• B. Myocardial Atrophy
• C. Cardiac Hypertrophy
• D. Coronary Artery Calcification

Answer: (C)

As people age, the heart can develop a thicker muscular wall as an adaptive response to the work it performs over time. This increase in the size of the heart muscle itself is called cardiac hypertrophy. It’s about the muscle fibers enlarging, not the chambers of the heart expanding. This differs from dilation, where the chambers enlarge; from myocardial atrophy, which is a loss of muscle mass; and from coronary artery calcification, which is calcium buildup in the arteries. In many older adults, mild hypertrophy can occur with preserved systolic function, though it may contribute to stiffer ventricles and diastolic filling issues.