What Is Cor Pulmonale?
Definition Cor pulmonale is an increase in bulk of the right ventricle of the heart, generally caused by chronic diseases or malfunction of the lungs. This condition can lead to heart failure. Description Cor pulmonale, or pulmonary heart disease, occurs in 25% of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In fact, about 85% of patients diagnosed with cor pulmonale have COPD. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema are types of COPD. High blood pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs (pulmonary hypertension) causes the enlargement of the right ventricle. In addition to COPD, cor pulmonale may also be caused by lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, pulmonary embolism, and pneumoconiosis. Loss of lung tissue after lung surgery or certain chest-wall disturbances can produce cor pulmonale, as can neuromuscular diseases, such as muscular dystrophy. A large pulmonary thromboembolism (blood clot) may lead to acute cor pulmonale. Causes and symptoms Any respiratory disease or ma
Cor pulmonale is failure of the right side of the heart caused by prolonged high blood pressure in the pulmonary artery and right ventricle of the heart. Cor pulmonale is also called right-sided heart failure. How does the Heart Function? In a normal heart, the left side produces a higher level of blood pressure in order to pump blood to the body. The right side of the heart pumps blood through the lungs under much lower pressure. Any condition that leads to prolonged high blood pressure in the arteries or veins of the lungs will be poorly tolerated by the right ventricle of the heart. When the right ventricle of the heart fails or is unable to properly pump against these abnormally high pressures, this is called cor pulmonale. What Causes Cor Pulmonale? Almost any chronic lung disease or condition causing prolonged low blood oxygen can lead to cor pulmonale. Some common causes of cor pulmonale are: • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) • Obstructive sleep apnea • Central slee
Cor pulmonale is a condition that changes the way the right ventricle of the heart works and even sometimes its shape or structure because of pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary hypertension is higher pressure in the pulmonary arteries, which makes it very difficult for the right ventricle to pump blood to the lungs. When this high-pressure situation exists, the right ventricle can gradually enlarge, get damaged and/or become exhausted in the process of trying to perform its job. This can lead to heart failure. The causes of cor pulmonale are intricately linked to causes of pulmonary hypertension. Numerous things can create increased pressure in the pulmonary arteries, which include structural defects, conditions like cystic fibrosis, black lung disease, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Of these, COPD is usually the leading cause of cor pulmonale and people most at risk for COPD are smokers. In early stages of this condition, people may not have many symptoms of right hea
• Cor pulmonale: Enlarged heart due to respiratory difficulty. • Cor pulmonale: increased pressure with the the pulmonary circulation, usually secondary to cardiac or pulmonary disease. Source – Diseases Database • Cor pulmonale: enlargement of the right ventricle of the heart due to disease of the lungs or of the pulmonary blood vessels. Source – WordNet 2.
Cor pulmonale (KOR pull-muh-NALL-e) is when the right side of your heart begins to fail. Heart failure means that the pumping power of the heart is weaker than normal. Your heart has 4 chambers (rooms). The 2 upper chambers are called atria (A-tree-ah) and the 2 lower chambers are called ventricles (VENT-reh-kulls). Blood vessels bring blood from your body to the right atrium (A-tree-um) in your heart. The blood moves into the right ventricle where it is pumped into the lungs to get oxygen. The oxygen-rich blood goes into the left atrium and down to the left ventricle. The left ventricle pumps the blood out to your body where the oxygen can be used.
