question about echo results and sudden death

Hi I posted a while back about left ventricle hypertrophy and got some great responses which I really appreciate. I did not have my echo results at the time but I have them now I had one taken last year and just had one a few weeks ago. These are the results.
January 2009 RVDd:3.0cm, IVSd:1.0cm, LVIDd:5.6cm, LVIDs:3.5cm, LVPWd:1.0cm, Ao root diam:3.6cm, LA:3.0cm, EF:55-60% The summary: The left ventricle is mildly dilated. No regional wall abnormalities with normal LV systolic function.

January 2010: RVDd:3.0cm, IVSd:1.1cm, LVIDd:5.2cm, LVIDs:4.0cm, LVPWd:1.2cm, Ao root diam:3.5cm, LA:3.5cm, EF:50-55% Summary: Borderline biventricular dilation. Borderline left ventricular hypertrophy. No regional wall abnormalities with normal LV systolic funcion.

I am 26 yrs old, non smoker, 6'1'', 225lbs., 10% bodyfat currently. I bodybuild so the bodyfat fluctuates. My cardio told me he was pleased with my results and blood tests, stress test, ecg, holter moniter all looked good. He told me I was free to workout as hard as I want and make sure to eat right. My main question is are these results worrysome or pretty normal. And am I at a risk for sudden death with the issues with the left ventricle?

[erijon]

The two things that stand out to me is the borderline left ventricular hypertrophy , which means the walls of your left ventricle are thickening and the bi-ventricular dilation which means both your right and left ventricles are beginning to become enlarged. You are young for those kinds of results. What you need to do is find the underlying cause. Is your blood pressure high? That would be the most common cause.

Once the underlying condition is resolved, your ventricles can remodel themselves and go back to their normal size. The LVH normally will not regress so it is important to find out why this is happening and resolve that so the progression can stop.

Also, you need to remember that these measurements are usually not much more than an estimate and could be wrong. In either case, you're only borderline and I would doubt that it puts you at any additional risk. Your EF% is good and there is no wall motion abnormalities meaning that the muscle is contracting properly and your LV systolic function is good. I can understand why your cardiologist was pleased, he most likely felt everything was within the normal variant. I would not be too concerned, but I would repeat the echo in a year or so.

Hope this helps,

Jon

[Ryan22331]

Thanks for the response. My cardio seems to think my echo results are normal for my size and muscularity. I was a college athlete, still bodybuild, and have trained at a high level since a young age. I had a TEE test done as well and a different cardio performed it. He said my heart was perfectly normal for a 25 yr old male. I was wondering why things looked good on a TEE test but my echo results suggested abnormalities. Thanks again.

[ed34]

Your heart is what you would expect from someone who works out, especially body building. A TEE scan is more accurate simply because it gets much closer to the heart and doesn't have to try and focus through so much body tissue. Especially if you have a lot of muscle mass from your workouts.
How did you find the TEE scan? was it a bad experience having to swallow the device?

[Ryan22331]

The TEE test was not a bad experience for me. I did have some problems at first because my throat was not numbed enough and I started to gag and choke on the device a bit. Once they got it down my esophogus I was ok because the iv they gave me really put me out of it.

[ed34]

I think a lot of people hate the thought of something passed down their throat. When I had by bypass surgery I was warned I would be waking up with a large tube down my throat, helping me to breathe. Of course this added further to my anxiety. However when I woke up it was very comfortable. I think it must be when the tube is inserted that makes the difference, mine was already in position.
I did see a young man in the bed opposite me in the ward having to swallow a camera so they could look into his lungs. He was having none of it, as fast as a tiny bit entered his throat he was out of bed running around the ward. I really felt for him, but the entertainment gave me something to take my mind off the surgery I'd just had.