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Echocardiographic Characterization of Left Heart Morphology and Function in Highly Trained Male Judo Athletes

2022; Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute; Volume: 19; Issue: 14 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3390/ijerph19148842

1661-7827

Jelena Slankamenac, Aleksandra Milovančev, Aleksandar Klašnja, Tamara Gavrilovic, Damir Sekulić, Marijana Geets Kesic, Tatjana Trivić, Violeta Kolarov, Patrik Drid,

Cardiac Imaging and Diagnostics

The long-term practice of judo can lead to various changes in the heart including increased dimensions of the left ventricle in diastole and thickening of the interventricular septum and the posterior wall of the left ventricle. This study aimed to assess left ventricular morphology and function in elite male judokas. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted that included a total of 20 subjects, 10 judokas, and 10 healthy non-athletes aged 24 ± 2.85 years. Demographic and anthropometric data were analyzed. All subjects underwent a medical examination and a two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiogram. Different parameters of left ventricular morphology and function were measured and compared between athletes and non-athletes. Left ventricle mass and LV mass index were higher in judokas than in non-athletes (p < 0.05), as well as PW thickness (9.78 ± 0.89 mm vs. 8.95 ± 0.76 mm). A total of six (n = 6) of athletes had eccentric hypertrophy, while others had normal heart geometry. LVEDd, LVEDs, LVEDd/BSA, and LVEDs/BSA were significantly higher in judokas (p < 0.05). LVEDd in athletes ranged from 48 to 62 mm. These values, combined with normal diastolic function, ejection fraction, and shortening fraction, indicate that the judokas’ cardiac adaptation was physiological rather than pathological.