Cardiac Oedema and Physical Stress

Abstract

When a mechanical load is put upon one of the hearts’ ventricles, the ventricle undergoes hypertrophy. There are, however, limits to the process. In the first place there must be limits to the size to which a ventricle can grow. But, as originally pointed out by Meerson (1), there are, in addition, more subtle limits to the duration of time over which hypertrophy may be sustained. Ata certain point in the progression of the disease, the patient develops an increase in venous pressure and oedema. And then he is said to be in “cardiac failure.”