What condition is associated with a significant increase in the size of the heart?

Cardiomegaly refers specifically to an enlargement of the heart. This condition can occur due to various underlying issues such as high blood pressure, heart valve disease, or chronic heart conditions. When the heart enlarges, it often indicates that the heart muscle is working harder to pump blood, which can lead to further complications if not addressed.

Increases in heart size can result from conditions such as coronary artery disease or hypertension, which can contribute to cardiomegaly, but those conditions themselves do not inherently describe the enlargement. Atrial fibrillation can also be a consequence of an enlarged heart, but it is a rhythm disorder rather than a condition that directly categorizes heart size. Thus, cardiomegaly is the precise term used to denote the condition characterized by a significant increase in the size of the heart.