What is the consequence of cardiac remodeling?

• A. Ventricular dysfunction
• B. Decreased preload
• C. Improved systolic function
• D. Increased heart rate only

Answer: (A)

Cardiac remodeling is the heart’s structural and functional response to chronic stress or injury, such as after a myocardial infarction or with long-standing pressure or volume overload. The ventricle often becomes dilated and/or hypertrophied and can develop fibrosis, which disturbs how the heart contracts and relaxes. These geometric and cellular changes lead to impaired systolic function, meaning the heart’s pumping ability declines and ejection fraction tends to fall. That deterioration in pumping performance is the main consequence of remodeling. While remodeling can be accompanied by other changes (like altered filling pressures or compensatory neurohormonal activation), the most direct and important outcome is ventricular dysfunction.