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Pathological Hypertrophy

Meaning

Pathological hypertrophy is the abnormal and detrimental enlargement of an organ or tissue resulting from an increase in the size of its constituent cells, typically triggered by chronic, excessive stress or disease states. Unlike the beneficial, adaptive hypertrophy seen with exercise, this form of cellular growth is maladaptive, often leading to structural remodeling and functional impairment of the affected organ. It represents a compensatory mechanism that ultimately fails to restore normal function.