LVH in healthy female

[tamsen46]

I'm 46, healthy weight, normal blood pressure and was just told I have LVH. It has stumped my doctor as I have none of the telltale "causes". She thinks it may be exercise induced but all though I'm active (pilates and running 3-4 miles 3 times a week) I don't consider myself an "elite athlete" like I've seen related to "Athlete's heart".

Will I need to stop exercising or risk injuring my heart more?

[joanincarolina]

I agree with grendslori. Quit the exercise until you are evaluated and even then watch for any cardiac signs. If you stop exercising for a while you won't be unhealthy, but you will miss the exercise. What you lose, you can certainly regain. Doctors do not not about all things because there are things that are still being researched and unusual or not common place in their practice. I was foolish enough to continue exercise in the absence of 'positive' tests, including three heart caths, and I put myself at great risk due to an uncommon problem.Wait. Joanincarolina.

[grendslori]

True exercise induced LVH probably doesn't exist. I say that because the main difference between true LVH (Left ventricular Hypertrophy) and "Athlete's Heart" is that in "Athlete's heart" ALL of the walls of the heart tend to become thickened, not just one or a few as in true LVH. When a diagnosis of LVH is questioned, the first thing a doctor looks at is the exercise level of the patient; is he or she an athlete? If the diagonis is being made on a child, the answer is always LVH. Like all of the body's muscles, the heart muscle is no different when it comes to strengthening and enlarging due to exercise. It does notr sound like you doctor knows much about HCM (LVH); if she did, she certainly would never allow you to cointinue working out until you have been evaluated. You have heard about athlete's dropping dead on the basketball courts and football firelds, right? They had LVH. The percentage is small, only 2% for a sudden death event, but you really don't want to risk that do you? Wait until your echo is done to diagnose or not the LVH. If you don't have it, great! If you do, then get to someone who has experience with the disease. Most doctors never see a LVH patient as long as they practice medicine.

[tamsen46]

I'm scheduled for an echocardiogram in two weeks but my doctor told me to continue all activities a she believes I'm very healthy and that the EKG reading is a "fluke" and that it's most definitely exercise induced.

If it is exercise induced, is there any harm in having LVH? I've read that sometimes they ask you to stop exercising for 3 - 6 months . . . if I do that then I WILL be unhealthy!

[grendslori]

You should stop exercising until you have had a full work-up by a cardiologist who deals with this disease. (Preferably at a University Hospital) There is a small risk for a sudden death event which is about 2%. It is important to know if there is any family history of someone dying suddenly at an early age. This disease can be genetic or sporadic in nature so all family members shoulfd be also evaluated. (parents, siblings,children) You should be evaulated for electrical problems with the heart (Holters, Event Monitors and an EP Study of the electrical system) Calcium Channel Blockers and other drugs that allow the heart walls to relax can help some for most patients. There may not be any "causes" for this disease. See that you get evaluated.