Weight Lifting and Aortic Auerysms

[Bodybuilder209]

I am a 38yr old male that was just diagnosed with an Ascending Aortic Anuerysm!!  I own a sports nutrition store and am a personal trainer!!  I also Compete in middleweight bodybuilding and train other competitiors!!  I feel like my life has come crashing down now because my Cardio is telling me that I will never be able to lift again!!  This is my life and what I do for a living!!  This is basically all i know how to do!  I am waiting on results from the CT scan that was taken yesterday and have done nothing but try to research about this nightmare that I am in at the moment!!
Any Help or Hope would be great!!

[nickppatel]

I would agree with your doc about dismissing the inflammation theory.  I've never heard of it, though I'm not an expert.

Depending on how big you are, 100mg may not cut it.  And losartan is really not the best ARB from what I understand.  Try max dose or higher of candesartan, valsartan, or telmisartan.

[Royal701]

I'm a 42 male with BAV.  My first echo in 2008 noted a 3.6 aortic root, 2009 3.8.  An October 19, 20011 came in at 4.4.  A MRI was ordered two days later and the root was 4.1x3.7.  I also had a wisdom tooth pulled on 10/14/11 and I began to think maybe it was just inflammation due to the pulled tooth.  My Doc immediately dismissed that theory.  Also the MRI rated my regurgitation as mild and not the mild/moderate I had been told previously.  Is it possible that the root would enlarge with a mild regurgitation?  I also enjoy weight lifting and lift moderate to heavy.  Previously I was on no restrictions and now with the 4.1 I know I must cut out the heavy and keep breathing steady through my workouts with no breathe holds. I've been on an ACE but switching to Losartan 50mg and will request to go to 100mg based on what I've read.  I will be getting a second opinion due to the wide swing in readings two days apart and just to get another prospective.  My doc was oblivious to any Losartan studies.  Would my theory on inflammation be wishful thinking?

[nickppatel]

I don't know why they censored that word - it wasn't bad.  Anyway, let's just say that "lifting light weights is LAME."

[nickppatel]

First, read up on angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB).  I have written many posts about them.  Click on my screenname and find my old posts.  These drugs have been shown to reduce/halt aortic enlargement in many people.

Second, how big is your aorta, and where on the aorta was the measurement taken?  There is a study floating around from awhile back in which the researchers found that Olympic weightlifters (and I assume you as a personal trainer would fall in that category for these purposes) have enlarged aortas.  So the enlargement COULD -- COULD -- be normal for you.  

Finally, if you continue to lift, you should minimize or eliminate the use of the Valsalva maneuever.  That's basically where you close your glottis and don't exhale.  Imagine what you feel like when you're straining as you do your once-in-a-blue-moon max bench press.  DON'T DO THAT ANYMORE.  Your blood pressure skyrockets when you do that, which obviously is bad.  Instead, if you insist on lifting, breathe continuously and never strain with a closed glottis.  I used to be a big lifter but in recent times I have shifted to lifting pretty light/moderate weights ... I inhale when I lift and exhale when I release.  I never stop breathing or strain, it is constant breathing.  Your BP will still increase, but the increase will be a lot less than when you use the Valsalva.  And wear a heart rate monitor when you lift, so that your rate stays down.  If you have a lifting BP of let's say 160/100 and your HR is 110, that is obviously worse than if your lifting BP is 160/100 and your HR is 80.  There's more strain on the aortic wall.

Lifting light weights *****, you say.  Well, maybe not.  There was another study comparing muscular hypertrophy when doing low-rep, heavy-weight lifting vs. doing high-rep, light-weight lifting, and the surprise was that the high-rep, light-weights (to muscle exhaustion) actually produced better results than the heavy lifts.  This goes contrary to conventional gym wisdom, but hey, it's what the study said.

†
Nick

[green881]

I was very concerned about the dilatation of my ascending aorta and many old people have been facing the problem you have now. I am still praying for healing.  Many people do not experience further dilation from certain point. Many people are approaching 50 mm  which is most likely a criterion for surgery. I have been reviewing research papers so far that two methods has been performed: Replacement with dacron graft and Wrapping. Both methods seem very effective even though the wrapping method looks controvertial, but it seems that it is relatively safer compared to the replacement procedure and its good results have been reported. You can find the information by internet and you will feel better with your condition. I wish you a healthy life.

[green881]

I was very concerned about the dilatation of my ascending aorta and many old people have been facing the problem you have now. I am still praying for healing.  Many people do not experience further dilation from certain point. Many people are approaching 50 mm  which is most likely a criterion for surgery. I have been reviewing research papers so far that two methods has been performed: Replacement with dacron graft and Wrapping. Both methods seem very effective even though the wrapping method looks controvertial, but it seems that it is relatively safer compared to the replacement procedure and its good results have been . You can find the information by internet and you will feel better with your condition. I wish you a healthy life.