PDA and athletic performance

[slim_]

Hi, im a young aspiring triathlete.  I was diagnosed with a PDA a couple of years ago, but didn't get the surgery to fix it until the past month.  Now from what i understand there should be no negative effect from this surgery on my athletic performance, but since i have been back training, i have been experiencing early fatigue and slightly elevated heart rates.

I was just wondering if anyone knew the kinds of effects closing a PDA has on athletic performance??

Thanks
Tyler

[Cleveland Clinic]

Pulmonary HTN is a condition where, in this case, after prolonged exposure of high blood flow and pressure to the lungs due to the PDA, the lungs began to change its vescular architecture.  It began to thicken its arteries.  This is disadvantageous to the right side of the heart because it normally operates under very low pressure.  The high pressure in the lung would make the right side of the heart work harder.  From a performance stand point, you might feel more fatigued, especially with exertion.  Keep in mind that this is all hypothetical in your case.  I would need to see you echo to give you a better opinion.  

Systemic HTN could potentially result from increased fraction of blood flow towards the systemic circulation.  Elevated blood pressure stresses the left side of the heart and would affect your athletic performance.  This is also hypothetical and one quick way to rule it out would be to check your blood pressure.  If it's normal, than that theory would be ruled out.  It's, therefore, hard to say wheteher or not anything is wrong with your heart at this point.  Additional tests would shed some info on which way to pursue this.  It is, however, concerning that your functional capacity has decreased considerably.  The other possibility is that you are in the recovery phase from the open heart surgery and that it will take some time before you get back to your original state.  This can take up to six months sometimes.    

[Cleveland Clinic]

PDA's are usually close before reaching adulthood.  The reason for early close has to do with the development of pulmonary HTN and those who do not get it closed.  It is possible that since your PDA was closed later that you finally have developed some changes in the lung with cause you to feel the way you do with exertion.  This is something that's possible, of course, but may not be the case in your situation at all.  The other possiblity is that you developed some systemic htn due PDA closure as a result of increased cardiac output.  The way to evaluate all this would be start with a good physical exam, get a blood pressure measurement, EKG, CXR and an echocardiogram with special attention to right heart function and evidence of increased pulmonary pressures.  

[slim_]

So, when all this is taken into account, do you think there will eventually be an increase in effeciency/strength of my cardio respiratory system??  I'm just wondering, because the only reason i really had the procedure done was because what i understood from it, was that it was hindering my cardiorespiratory output.

[slim_]

Would you be able to simplify that a bit?  In terms of my lung, what potentially could have happened to it, and how can this affect me?  And how would the systemic HTN potentially cause this??

I'm just curious to what is going on, cause I do not have an answer

Tyler

[slim_]

When I went in for a phyical the doctor detected a murmur about three years ago i believe.  He then sent me to a cardiologist who then diagnosed me with the PDA.  I'm not sure if the PDA would explain your problems (I never noticed anything when i had mine), but it probably wouldn't heart to get a referalto see the cardiologist.

Tyler

[CdnMikeB]

Tyler,

How did you find out you had a PDA? (diagnosis, symptoms etc.) I have considered the same thing for myself as I suffer from poor athletic performance during my many years of training, as well as various problems like fast heart rate and extreme fatigue/insomnia. I was also told I had a heart murmor when I was 2yrs old but nothing came of it.

I had an echo last week but was only told by the tech that the only thing odd was a fast resting heart rate, though I have not yet seen the cardiologist. I am 30 yrs old and have been looking for an answer for 10 years explaining my many health problems despite a healthy lifestyle.

Thanks,
Mike