A medical condition in which the heart is abnormally enlarged, usually due to disease or strain.
From Greek 'kardia' (heart) + 'megale' (large) + '-y' (condition). Shorter than 'cardiomegalia,' this is the preferred modern medical term, standardized in the 1900s.
Cardiomegaly is both a symptom and a disease trigger—an enlarged heart struggles to work efficiently, which causes it to work even harder, creating a vicious cycle that cardiologists call 'decompensation.'
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