[Left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive and athlete's hearts: echocardiographic and vectorcardiographic characteristics].
The difference in the patterns of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) between the athlete's heart (Judo player: Judo-Ath group) and the hypertensive heart (HT group) was studied using vectorcardiography and echocardiography. The both groups were classified into two types based on the pattern of a QRS loop vector in the horizontal plane, respectively. One type (type II) satisfied the vectorcardiographic criteria of LVH by Upshaw, and the other (type I) did not satisfy it. The subjects composed of 12 Ath-I, 18 Ath-II, 10 HT-I and 16 HT-II. In the Ath-I, the characteristic vectorcardiogram was demonstrated in the horizontal plane, where an increased amplitude of an initial QRS vector was in the right and anterior direction. A mean ratio of the thickness of the interventricular septum to left ventricular posterior wall (IVSTd/PWTd) was 1.20 (p less than 0.001) in their echocardiograms. In HT-I, on the other hand, a decreased amplitude of an initial anterior vector and an increased amplitude of a posterior vector were observed in the horizontal plane. IVSTd and PWTd did not increase in these patients. These results indicated that an increased amplitude of an initial QRS vector in Ath-I is a reflection of the increased IVSTd. In type II, both IVSTd and PWTd were symmetrically increased. Concerning a spatial maximum QRS magnitude and left ventricular mass (LV mass), there was a significant correlation between the two only in HT-II (r = 0.75, p less than 0.01). It was concluded that there was some vectorcardiographic and echocardiographic differences between the left ventricular hypertrophic patterns of the athlete's heart and the hypertensive heart.
D000328:Adult; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004452:Echocardiography; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications*; D007537:Isometric Contraction; D013177:Sports; D014672:Vectorcardiography