Modeling Cardiac Growth: An Alternative Approach

Abstract

Models of cardiac growth might assist in clinical decision making, in particular for long-term prognosis of the effect of interventions. Most growth models strictly enforce the amount and direction of volume change and prevent runaway growth by limiting maximum growth. These assumptions have been questioned. We propose an alternative model for cardiac growth, in which the actual volume change of a tissue element is determined by the desired volume change in that element and the degree to which this change is resisted by the surrounding tissue. The model was evaluated on its ability to reproduce a stable healthy left ventricular configuration under normal hemodynamic load. A homeostatic equilibrium state could not be obtained, which might be due to limitations in the mechanics model or an inadequate stimulus-effect relation in the growth model. Still, the basic idea underlying the model could be an interesting alternative to current growth models.