Exercise (cardio & weight training) w/ LVH

[mreyno8485]

Been diagnosed with LVH and was prescribed blood pressure meds. BP was 140/88 at checkup. With meds. now at 105/65. Very active with my work outside, lots of walking during the day. Is the extra exercise dangerous?

[kenkeith]

Cardiac disorders such as valve problems or high blood pressure make the heart work harder to pump blood. This increased work can lead to enlargement (thickening) of the heart, or cardiac hypertrophy.  I had an enlarged heart dx'd 5 years ago due to ischemia (vessel occlusion) mediction to reduce heart's workload has reversed remodeling...now normal dimensions and normal EF) with medication and exercise protocol.

Pathological is different from physiological hypertrophy.  Well-conditioned trained have enlarged hearts, but this physiological hypertrophy, unlike pathological hypertrophy, is not associated with arrhythmias or poor prognosis.  If one's heart rate at rest is below 60 hpm that would be an indication of an athlete's heart that is pumping very efficiently.  Also, when an athele discontinues rigorous atctivites the heart well return to normal size

The morphology of heart cells in a pathologically enlarged heart is different, and if left untreated will cause a decrease in contractility and heart failure.  That happened to me, and my first symptom was congested heart failure and I was several days in ICU to stabilize the blood/oxygen ratio.

There has never been any restrictions for physical activity for me. Rather physical activity is advised. The best gauge is how well you feel...not short breath, no chest pains, not fatigued, normal heart rate, etc.  Your blood pressure is very good.

[grendslori]

If you have LVH that is true LVH, in other words not an athletic heart where ALL of the walls of the heart are thickened, it can be very dangerous to be doing all of this kind of exercise. Thickened heart walls can become very irritable and start firing premature ventricular contractions that can develop into a life threatening arrhythmia. I'm shocked that any cardiologist would allow you to be doing all of these things. Have you had an EP Study done to make sure you are not having any kind of dangerous arrhythmias?