Assessment of the left ventricle in adult athletes

Abstract

Competitor's heart is a set of constructions and physiological alteration that correlate to a long period of sport. The lack of reference to this status may lead to be classified as a disease, this study intended to evaluate morphological and functional changes in left ventricular in male athletes. One hundred and thirty-one intact participants between 15-33 years were involved in this research, 31 of them act as a control subject, echocardiographic scan was done to find left ventricular internal enddiastolic dimension, interventricular septal wall thickness, left ventricular posterior wall thickness, relative wall thickness, left ventricular mass and ejection fraction for two groups of athletes (aerobic & anaerobic) and nonsports group (control), analysis was conducted using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). Athlete's average parameters were higher than those of the control were; end diastolic dimension (51.5±4.8mm versus 48.0±4.4mm), interventricular septal wall thickness (9.7±1.05mm versus 8.4±0.9mm), posterior wall thickness (9.5±0.85mm versus 8.4±0.6mm), relative wall thickness (0.40 ±0.08mmversus 0.35±0.05mm), left ventricular mass (191.1±37.2g versus 141.1±36.4g) and ejection fraction (70.6±5.3 versus 66.5±4.5). There was a significant difference between athletes and the control participants concern to all measurements. Results of the study are compatible with earlier findings; this data will be benefit into medical evaluation purpose in the sporty society.