Left ventricular volumes and mass in marathon runners and their association with cardiovascular risk factors.
BACKGROUND
To assess left ventricular volumes and mass by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in relation to conventional cardiovascular risk factors and coronary atherosclerotic plaque burden in master marathon runners aged > or =50 years.


METHODS
Cardiac MRI was performed in 105 clinically healthy male marathon runners (mean age 57.3 +/- 5.7 years, range 50-71 years) on a 1.5 T MR system (Avanto, Siemens, Germany). Cine steady state free precession images in standard long and short axes views were acquired to assess left ventricular volumes and mass. Cardiovascular risk factors (blood pressure, HDL/LDL cholesterol, smoking, body mass index) were assessed and coronary artery calcification (CAC) was quantified by electron beam computed tomography.


RESULTS
Left ventricular muscle mass (mean LVMM = 140 +/- 27 g; 73 +/- 13 g/m(2)) increased with increasing left ventricular end-diastolic volume (mean LVEDV = 137 +/- 32 ml; 72 +/- 15 ml/m(2)) (r = 0.41, P < 0.0001) and with systolic (r = 0.33, P = 0.005) and diastolic (r = 0.28, P = 0.005) blood pressures. Left ventricular EDV increased up to the age of 55 years, but decreased thereafter. Runners with LVMM > or =150 g had significantly higher CAC scores than runners with LVMM <150 g (median CAC score 110 vs. 25, P = 0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
Increases in LVMM and LVEDV may not only represent a response to exercise but are dependent on age and blood pressure, also. In addition, a left ventricular hypertrophy without an increase in volume may be an indicator for early subclinical cardiac alterations in response to risk factor exposure.
Nassenstein
Kai
K
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
Breuckmann
Frank
F
Lehmann
Nils
N
Schmermund
Axel
A
Hunold
Peter
P
Broecker-Preuss
Martina
M
Sandner
Torleif A
TA
Halle
Martin
M
Mann
Klaus
K
Jöckel
Karl-Heinz
KH
Heusch
Gerd
G
Budde
Thomas
T
Erbel
Raimund
R
Barkhausen
Jörg
J
Möhlenkamp
Stefan
S
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D016014:Linear Models; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed