Exercise-Induced Atrial Remodeling: The Forgotten Chamber.
Cardiac changes in athletes involve the left ventricle and atrium. Mild left atrial enlargement is common among competitive athletes, possibly a physiologic adaptation to exercise conditioning. The prevalence of this remodeling and the association with supraventricular arrhythmias has not been systematically addressed. Echocardiography screens for patients with disease involving the left atrium. New techniques like speckle tracking can recognize early atrial dysfunction and assess left atrial myocardial function in patients with either physiologic or pathologic left ventricular hypertrophy. This article reviews echocardiographic techniques in delineating the athlete's morphology and functional properties of the left atrium.
Department of Cardiology, Monaldi Hospital, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy. Electronic address: antonellodandrea@libero.it.
Antonello
A
D'Andrea
Department of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d'Aragona, Salern, Italy.
Eduardo
E
Bossone
Department of Cardiology, Monaldi Hospital, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Juri
J
Radmilovic
Department of Cardiology, Monaldi Hospital, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Lucia
L
Riegler
Department of Cardiology, Monaldi Hospital, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Enrica
E
Pezzullo
Department of Cardiology, Monaldi Hospital, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Raffaella
R
Scarafile
Department of Cardiology, Monaldi Hospital, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Maria Giovanna
MG
Russo
Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Federico II University Hospital, Naples, Italy.
Maurizio
M
Galderisi
Department of Cardiology, Monaldi Hospital, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Raffaele
R
Calabrò
D056352:Athletes; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D064752:Atrial Remodeling / Q000502:physiology*; D004452:Echocardiography; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional
Athlete’s heart; Atrial fibrillation; Diastole; Endurance; Left atrial volume; Left atrium; Speckle tracking; Sport training