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Compensated vs Decompensated Hypertension

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  • 25-10-2009 12:33pm
    #1
    bnm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11 ✭


    Hey, I'm having problems finding information about the pathological changes in compensated vs decompensated htn. Compensated refers to LVH, I think? But decompensated? Could someone explain? Cheers!!:D


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    #2
    tallaght01
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,778 ✭✭✭tallaght01


    The hypertension itself isn't usually what they refer to when they talk about compensated or uncompensated disease. It's usually heart disease. Most commonly heart failure.

    It's all very complex, and the explanation depends on how much detail you want. If you're a med student, an appreciation of starling forces, re-modelling and the chemical mediators involved would be essential.

    Essentially compensation refers to the element of the disease where the functions of the heart are maintained through compensatory mechanisms, like LVH. Decompensation refers to the stage of the disease where those adjustments no longer preserve cardiac function.


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