Correlation of Coronary Artery Disease and Left Ventricular Hypertrophy

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, and it is defined as an imbalance between myocardial oxygen supply and demand. Coronary artery disease (CAD) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) are two common causes of IHD that independently result in myocardial ischemia. CAD decreases myocardial blood and oxygen supply whereas LVH increases myocardial oxygen demand. The coexistence of both CAD and LVH results in a significant increase in oxygen demand while simultaneously lowering oxygen supply. Since hypertension is a shared predisposing condition for both CAD and LVH, the left ventricular (LV) mass on noninvasive echocardiography can reflect on the severity of coronary artery stenosis. In clinical practice, it can help physicians decide whether to perform invasive cardiac catheterization to visualize the extent of the coronary block. Although, both CAD and LVH are directly proportional to mortality risk, the addition of eccentric LVH can further increase morbidity and mortality due to myocardial infarction. Therefore, the latest management of both the acute and chronic phases of CAD places an increased emphasis on controlling the predisposing factors to prevent or reverse LVH. For example, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and diuretics reduce LV mass by lowering the cardiac preload and afterload. This article aims to investigate the deleterious effects of the collaboration between CAD and LVH, establish a causal relationship, and explore the new prevention and management strategies.