A Stiff Heart

The myocardium stiffens during the remodeling process which takes place during viral attacks, cardiomyopathy, and during arrhythmias....but also if hypertension is in play. What happens is the muscle walls of the ventricle and sometimes the atrium (with persistent and permanent atrial fibrillation) thicken due to deposits of fibrosis and collagen. This is a natural response to stress placed upon the heart that shouldn't normally be there. The thickened walls don't perform their long contractions well, so the ejection volume suffers and it drops. If the volume drops, the person might be swirling around a marked deficit of oxygen.