Exercise induced LVH?

Male, 42

For the last 6 months I have gotten 6-8 hours of aerobic exercise a week. 10-20% of my exercise time is spent in the 160+ bpm range. Occasionally I'll get up to 8 hours of aerobic exercise in a day.

I have borderline high blood pressure (at least as measured in a hospital environment) 90/140.

Based on an EKG I have been diagnosed with left ventricular hypertrophy.


Is it possible that my LVH is caused by exercise rather than by high blood pressure or heart valve issues?

If LVH can be exercise induced is there any qualitative difference between thicker heart wall as induced by exercise and thicker heart wall induced by high blood pressure. Or to ask this question another way is LVH a risk factor for cardiovascular problems regardless of its cause.

Or is LVH a risk factor because the population of people who get EKGs (and might be diagnosed with LVH) are at greater risk than the general population.

Is there a way to differentiate between high blood pressure caused LVH and exercise caused LVH?

Thanks in advance for your response.

[CCF CARDIO MD JMF]

LVH is most often caused by hepertension and/ or genetics.  It is unlikely that your exercise is causing it.  It is important to control you bp.  It may be even higher when you're exercising.

[Jim Couch]

Thanks for asking the questions. I would be interested in knowing the answers to all of your questions. Thanks, Doc.

Jim

[melinda]

Hi, I have some questions regarding LVH:

1. How long does it take the mild to moderate LVH to regress by controlling BP?

2. What medicines do help regress LVH?

3. After controlling the BP with medication for sometime, is it possible to bring down the BP normal by other methods: lifestyle changes, weight loss, excercise, meditation, stress management, etc. How many percentage pf people could control BP without medication?

4. What doe you think of Atenolol as a bp medicine?

Thanks.

Melinda

[g]

On the same theme.  The last two ECG's I had done reported possible LVH borderline ecg (something about voltage critereon).  I've had numerous ecg's done in the past and they never mentioned this.  I'm being treated for a raised BP ... currently undergoing tests with an endocrinologist.  The docs doing the latest ekg's just said that the LVH thing was nothing and that it's probably just as a result of me having been fit in the past.  Are EKG accurate in screening for LVH or is an echo really the only way??  How can I be sure the LVH noted on the EKG is due to me having a healthy strong heart and not the result  of the BP problem?

[Ken]

When an adult male has LVH.. what would the size of heart be..that is walls,septum and ventricle?What is the differace between athletic LVH and high blood pressure LVH?Thank you.Ken

[CCF CARDIO MD JMF]

LVH may be regressed with antihypeertensives including beta blockers and ace inhibitors.  the effects are generally over months to years.  Each individual is different.

The criteria for LVH y ECG and by echo are different and denote different things.  If someone is very thin, an ECG may mistake this as LVH. The echo is more sensitve.