The recent death of actor Jansen Panettiere — brother of “Heroes” star Hayden Panettiere — has put the spotlight on a surprisingly common condition, cardiomegaly.
“It is with great sorrow we share the tremendous, untimely loss of our beautiful Jansen,” the Panettiere family wrote, announcing the cause of Jansen’s death. “Though it offers little solace, the Medical Examiner reported Jansen’s sudden passing was due to cardiomegaly (enlarged heart), coupled with aortic valve complications.”
Simply put, cardiomegaly means an enlarged heart. Cardiomegaly is not a disease, but it is a heart condition that could lead to or be caused by other health issues. And the most common cause of the condition, coronary artery disease, effects around 18 million people in the U.S.
