title: Ultrasonographic study of left ventricular function at rest in a group of highly trained black African handball players.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Most of the studies of athlete's heart have been performed on Caucasian and yet, evidence suggests that there are racial differences in the response of the heart to certain pathological conditions such as hypertension. This study aimed to evaluate the morphologic cardiac changes in a group of highly trained Cameroonian handball players.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied cardiac morphology and function as assessed by echocardiography at rest in 21 asymptomatic international level handball players and 21 age-, sex-, height- and weight-matched sedentary controls. Echocardiographic variables were compared between groups using unpaired t-test. Compared with controls, wall thickness, relative wall thickness (h/R), left ventricular (LV) mass, LV end diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and left atrial diameter were significantly greater in athletes. None of the athlete exhibited a wall thickness above 12 mm. The ejection fraction (EF) and the mitral pattern on pulsed wave Doppler did not differ in the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both LVEDD and wall thickness of elite Cameroonian handball players are increased. There is an increased h/R. The LV EF was normal and not supranormal, as is sometimes believed. These cardiac changes are consistent with cardiac adaptation required in this type of sportsmen who are submitted both in endurance and resistance training.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cardiac Doppler Ultrasound, General Hospital, Yaoundé - Cameroon. aitdzudie@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Anastase
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dzudie
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Menanga
authors.forename: Ba
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hamadou
authors.forename: Andre Pascal
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Kengne
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Atchou
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kingue
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People; D002163:Cameroon; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling