Table 2 Articles on the assessment of athlete’s heart using different imaging modalities
From: Cardiac imaging in athlete’s heart: current status and future prospects
References № | Study population | Method(s) | Parameters | Main findings | Conclusions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Reference № 1 | 15 untrained, young, healthy control subjects 20 professional athletes of the same age (mean: 26 years) and sex (male) | 2D echocardiography DMI | Right ventricular long-axis dimension LV short-axis dimension Peak systolic velocities S/E and E/A ratios | Athletes had significantly greater right ventricular long-axis and LV short-axis dimensions than the control subjects LV ejection fraction was similar in the two groups Peak systolic velocities significantly increased along the LV short and right ventricular long-axes in athletes | DMI can provide valuable indications for the athlete's heart Velocities, or rather peak velocities, are the most immediate and readable parameters provided by this technique |
Reference № 7 | 947 elite, highly trained athletes who participate in a wide variety of sports | 2D echocardiography ECG | LV wall thickness LV end-diastolic dimension Ventricular septal thickness Posterior free-wall thickness LV mass LV mass index Aortic root dimension Left atrial dimension | The thickest LV wall among the athletes measured 16 mm Wall thickness compatible with the diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (≥ 13 mm) was identified in only 16 of the 947 athletes (1.7%) | A LV wall thickness of ≥ 13 mm is uncommon in highly trained athletes and associated with an enlarged LV cavity |
Reference № 23 | 18 male top-level athletes, who were members of the Italian Olympic rowing team (3 consecutive years of long-term exercise) 12 untrained sedentary male subjects | 2D echocardiography 3D echocardiography CMR | LV mass LV end diastolic volume LV end systolic volume LV ejection fraction | LV systolic function was normal in top-level athletes and did not differ from that of controls | 3D echocardiography is highly accurate, and the operator dependence is very low |
Reference № 25 | 15 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy 20 competitive top-level athletes 18 sedentary normal subjects | 2D echocardiography DMI 2D strain | Global longitudinal strain Regional peak systolic strain | In general, there was no significant difference between the strain values of the athletes and the control group, but in some segments the strain values of the control group were significantly higher than those of the athletes | 2D strain is a new simple, rapid, and reproducible method to measure systolic strain from standard 2D images It might be used as an additional tool for a comprehensive cardiac evaluation in trained athletes and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy |
Reference № 31 | 19 athletes 10 untrained control subjects | M-mode echocardiography 2D echocardiography CMR | LV mass LV end diastolic volume | The best correlation between CMR and echocardiographic LV mass and volumes was observed using the American Society of Echocardiography 2D echocardiographic method | The American Society of Echocardiography 2D echocardiographic approach, when using CMR as a reference standard, was the most accurate estimator of LV mass and volumes in both controls and athletes |
Reference № 32 | 9 endurance-trained athletes 8 sedentary subjects | M-Mode and Doppler echocardiography CMR | LV mass Left atrial dimension LV end diastolic volume LV end systolic volume Interventricular septum Posterior wall Fractional shortening E/A ratio | Myocardial free fatty acids uptake is not enhanced in the athlete's heart at rest When studied with CMR, the endurance-trained subjects had increased LV mass, end-diastolic volume, and stroke volume compared with sedentary subjects | Increases in LV mass, long-axis diameter, and volumes, but also posterior wall thickness in endurance-trained athletes, can reliably be observed by CMR |
Reference № 33 | Endurance- trained athletes (10 males, 10 females) Strength-trained athletes (8 males, 10 females) Untrained subjects (9 males, 10 females) | 2D echocardiography CMR | LV dimensions and function VO2 max | Endurance training causes an increase in stroke volume and LV mass, irrespective of gender In contrast, the highly strength-trained males and females did not have increased cardiac dimensions or VO2 max compared to untrained controls, and no gender difference was seen | Exclusively practicing strength training does not cause any beneficial effects on the oxygen transport chain |