title: Left ventricular volumes and mass in marathon runners and their association with cardiovascular risk factors.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nassenstein
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Breuckmann
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lehmann
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmermund
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hunold
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Broecker-Preuss
authors.forename: Torleif A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Sandner
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Halle
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: Karl-Heinz
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Jöckel
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heusch
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Budde
authors.forename: Raimund
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Erbel
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barkhausen
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Möhlenkamp
mesh_terms: 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