Wasting away or degeneration of heart muscle tissue due to disease or lack of use.
Greek 'kardia' (heart) + 'trophia' (nutrition, nourishment), describing the loss of cardiac muscle mass. This pathological term names conditions where the heart muscle deteriorates from disease or disuse.
Cardiotrophia can result from prolonged bed rest, which is why astronauts and marathon patients on ventilators have their hearts actively exercised—your heart literally shrinks without work, showing that muscles (including the heart) follow the 'use it or lose it' principle.
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