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Avatar universal

What is the LV systolic Diameter and ....

I've been having a weird heart thing for months  

see videos http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x167vdn_push-ups-4-months-later_lifestyle

I'm looking over my ultrasound results and I found this

LV systolic diameter 5.7 cm     (2.5-4.0 cm)            Does this mean anything?
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Avatar universal
I am NOT able to exercise without symptoms, that's why i've been going crazy trying to figure out what this is. This started in May with trouble breathing and refluxing food becoming a more and more frequent occurrence. By June, my heart felt like it was working harder / beating harder than usual and by July it became visible like in the video.   NO history of asthma, heart conditions, or digestive conditions before this.

Before all of this started my heart was NOT visible like that at all. I ran 5 miles in sand 5 times a week and worked out about 4-6 times a week. I'm a shallow human being, I spent a lot of time without a shirt on, trust me, that is not normal for me.  And I'm really not that thin, I'm 6'2 205-210lbs. My ribs have always stuck out like that.

*my heart hurts* when I exert it in any way. It feels like it's under a lot of pressure, squeezing sensation as well as  trying to pop/explode.

I still feel short of breath all of the time, even when I'm just sitting around not doing anything I'll occasionally have to struggle to get some air in there. I took a Pulmonary Function Test in September and on all flow volume charts the line representing me trying to inhale is practically flat.  I feel like I'm not breathing at all if I hike, run, lift, or do anything fun these days and that's why i haven't been doing them.

Sure I can still do a couple of pushups or ride a bike or go for a hike, but it hurts me to do these things.  I spent just shy of an entire year eating healthier and exercising regularly. I loved it and I miss it  I know my body, this is not normal and that's why I'm trying to find out what's going on.

The rest of my ultrasound looks normal here are the details

Aortic Root 3.7cm
Aortic Valve 2.5cm
L atrial dimension 2.8cm
R atrium dimension   blank
IVS-AML distance 0.5cm
RV ant, Wall thickness blank
RV diastolic 2.8cm
IV septal thickness 0.9cm

LV diastolic 5.4cm
Volume  Blank
LV systolic 5.7cm
Volume    Blank
LV post wall thickness 0.9cm
Est. stroke volume LV   Blank
Est ejection fraction, LV   59%j
RV systolic pressure    28mmHg

I'm just asking you to see this from my point of view. That visible heartbeat developed two months after I started having trouble breathing and digestive issues. Please don't suggest stress or anxiety. Running and working out became my anti-anxiety medicine. If I could breathe and it didn't hurt me to do those things, that's what I'd be doing right now.      For whatever it's worth the last time i went to the gym was July 1st and the last time i went for a run was a couple of days after that.     I noticed that I wasn't sore but in actual pain and extremely exhausted for two days afterwards.  Please understand where I'm coming from.  Running and working out in the same day was an almost daily occurrence for me for an entire year, , , ,and then I went down to not even being able to do 1 of those activities days apart from each other.  I know what it means to be sore and I know this is much more unhealthy than that.
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
LV systolic diameter can be caused by extra "strain" on the heart from either infiltrative cardiac disease (abnormal protein deposition in the muscle tissue), aortic valve disease (a narrowed valve, which would have been picked up on echo), volume overload from something like heart failure (which the echo would also have been able to determine), or an enlarged heart from athletic fitness.
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi pomask,
The videos you posted show a visible heart beat, which is not uncommon in younger and thinner patients.  The LV systolic diameter being slightly increased could be representative of an enlarged heart from a variety of medical problems, but in young, otherwise healthy patients (who are able to do 20 pushups and are thin like you) the enlargement can be secondary to a healthy, athletic heart.  It is impossible to make any definitive assessments without knowing your full echo results or knowing more about your medical history.  If you are not having any symptoms and are able to exercise regularly with otherwise normal ultrasound (echo) findings, then I suspect everything is likely OK.  Hope that helps.
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