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Where is the apex of the heart located?
What does the apex of the heart do?
Does the heart have an apex and a base?
Nov 2, 2023 · The apex of the heart is formed by the inferolateral region of the left ventricle. It lies posterior to the left 5th intercostal space in adults, typically about 9 cm (equivalent to the breadth of a hand) from the median plane.
- Content Manager
- 10 min
- Overview
- What is the apex of the heart?
- Function
- Potential complications
- Takotsubo or apical ballooning syndrome
- Apical heart attack
- Cardiomyopathy
- Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- Myocarditis
- Summary
The heart’s apex is located at the bottom tip of the heart. It consists of the left and right ventricles. Conditions affecting the heart’s apex include myocarditis, cardiomyopathy, and heart attack.
Experts define the apex of the heart by the left ventricular (LV) apex and the right ventricular (RV) apex. The left ventricle pumps oxygenated blood to the rest of the body, and the right ventricle pumps returned blood into the lungs.
The apex of the heart is at the tip of the left and right ventricles. It sits on the opposite side of this organ from the base of the heart.
The apex of the heart faces toward the left arm and is closer to the front of the body.
With each heartbeat, the apex moves, twists, and impacts the front of the chest, causing an apex beat. A person or clinician can often feel its beats when placing their fingers or hand under the left nipple line.
Learn more about the anatomy of a heart here.
The apex of the heart is the very tip and helps pump or “wring out” blood from the ventricles to the rest of the body (LV apex) or the lungs (RV apex). It does this by helping regulate the right and left ventricles of the heart and allowing them to pump blood upward and out of the heart.
The right ventricle returns blood to the lungs, where the organs oxygenate the blood. The left ventricle brings oxygenated blood all over the body.
Several conditions can affect the heart’s apex. It is important to contact a doctor if a person experiences any symptoms of a heart condition. If they believe they may be experiencing a heart attack, they should seek emergency medical attention.
If a heart attack occurs at the apex of the heart, it can cause the pooling of the blood in the apex. Eventually, a blood clot can form and break off, causing a stroke or other systemic embolism.
Left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome (LVBS), which doctors also refer to as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, is a type of nonischemic cardiomyopathy. The term nonischemic cardiomyopathy refers to decreased heart function. It results in a sudden temporary weakening of the heart’s muscle tissue.
An older study reports that common symptoms include:
•chest pain
•dyspnea, or shortness of breath
•arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat
•fatigue
Apical myocardial infarction, a heart attack, results from prolonged reduced blood flow in the left anterior descending (LAD) artery. The LAD is the largest coronary artery running from the heart’s base to the apex.
This condition may mimic LVBS, so a person should receive medical attention to determine the possible cause and treatment.
Cardiomyopathy is a condition that people may inherit or develop that makes it more difficult for the heart to pump blood through the body effectively. A type of cardiomyopathy, such as stress-induced cardiomyopathy, may cause the apex of the heart to swell.
Cardiomyopathy can cause several symptoms that doctors may use to help diagnose the condition. These symptoms include:
•fatigue
•difficulty breathing, particularly with physical exertion
•fainting during physical activity
•swelling in the:
Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (AHCM) is a rare form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).
HCM is the term for heterogeneous heart muscle disease. Doctors define this type of disease by detecting left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy without abnormal cardiac loading conditions — theamount of resistance the heart requires to push the blood into the circulatory system.
AHCM has similar symptoms to other heart-related conditions. The main clinical presentations include:
•atypical chest pain
•dyspnea
•exercise intolerance
Myocarditis refers to inflammation of the heart. This condition can also affect the apex of the heart along with the rest of the heart.
Symptoms of myocarditis are not specific, meaning the symptoms are the same as several other conditions. However, people may experience:
•shortness of breath
•ankle swelling
•fever
•fatigue
The apex of the heart helps regulate the left and right ventricles, which bring blood to the body and the lungs, respectively.
Several heart conditions can affect the apex. It is important to contact a doctor if a person believes they may have a heart condition. Individuals should seek immediate medical attention if they believe they may have a heart attack.
May 4, 2023 · The apex of the heart is the lowermost part of the heart, located at the tip of the left ventricle. This small, conical structure is formed by the curvature of the ventricular wall and is situated at the intersection of the heart’s vertical and horizontal planes.
Sep 14, 2021 · The inferior tip of the heart, the apex, lies just to the left of the sternum between the junction of the fourth and fifth ribs near their articulation with the costal cartilages. The right side of the heart is deflected anteriorly, and the left side is deflected posteriorly.
Jun 20, 2024 · The apex of the heart is inferior and to the left while the base of the heart is superior and posterior. A typical heart is approximately the size of your fist: 12 cm (5 in) in length, 8 cm (3.5 in) wide, and 6 cm (2.5 in) in thickness.
The apex of the heart is pointed forward, downward, and to the left. It is typically located deep to the left fifth intercostal space and slightly medial to the left midclavicular line (an imaginary line drawn parallel to the long axis of the body and crossing the middle of the clavicle ).
1 day ago · The heart is located in the thoracic cavity medial to the lungs and posterior to the sternum. On its superior end, the base of the heart is attached to the aorta, pulmonary arteries and veins, and the vena cava. The inferior tip of the heart, known as the apex, rests just superior to the diaphragm. The base of the heart is located along the ...
