Hypertrophy
Enlargement of a tissue or organ caused by an increase in the size of its cells.
What it means
Hypertrophy is an increase in the size of a tissue caused by its cells enlarging, in response to increased workload or hormonal stimulation.
It differs from hyperplasia, in which the number of cells increases rather than their size, and is the opposite of atrophy.
Whether it is beneficial depends entirely on context. Skeletal muscle hypertrophy from training is desirable. Left ventricular hypertrophy, where the heart muscle thickens against years of high blood pressure, is not — the thickened muscle becomes stiff and eventually fails.
In practice
Reported on echocardiography and electrocardiography as left ventricular hypertrophy, an important marker of long-standing hypertension.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia — strictly hyperplasia rather than hypertrophy — is the age-related prostate enlargement causing urinary symptoms in men.
Why it matters
Cardiac hypertrophy found on a scan is a signal that blood pressure has been raised for a considerable time, and is a reason to treat it properly rather than a separate problem.
It is largely reversible with sustained blood pressure control, which is a genuinely encouraging fact.
Clinically reviewed by Dr Mohammad Zubair Khan, GMC 7563469
Last reviewed
August 30, 2026