What does left ventricular high voltage mean?
Disease description:
I went to the hospital for a checkup, and the results report states "left ventricular high voltage." What does this mean? I don't recall feeling particularly unwell in my daily life, just occasionally experiencing palpitations. Could this condition potentially worsen over time?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Tian Hongbo
Left ventricular high voltage is an electrical phenomenon observed in electrocardiogram (ECG) testing. Its prominent feature on the ECG is an increased amplitude of the QRS complex, particularly evident in the V5 and V6 leads. This primarily reflects an enhanced intensity of electrical activity generated during contraction of the left ventricle.
Left ventricular high voltage can be a normal physiological variant, commonly seen in young individuals, athletes, and tall people, as these groups may have certain specific cardiac functions and physiological structures.
However, left ventricular high voltage may also be closely associated with several cardiac diseases, such as hypertensive heart disease, aortic valve stenosis, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. These conditions cause the heart muscle to face greater resistance and workload during blood pumping, thereby leading to left ventricular high voltage.
Nevertheless, left ventricular high voltage alone cannot definitively indicate the presence of serious heart problems. Further evaluation must include the patient's symptoms, physical signs, blood pressure measurements, and other diagnostic tests such as echocardiography.
