Features Distinguishing Athlete's Heart From Cardiomyopathy
Feature | Athlete’s Heart | Cardiomyopathy |
|---|---|---|
Left ventricular septal thickness* | In males, < 13 mm In females, < 11 mm | In males, > 15 mm In females, > 13 mm |
Left ventricular end-diastolic diameter† | < 60 mm | > 70 mm |
Diastolic function | Normal (E:A ratio > 1‡) septal e' ≥ 10 cm/sec lateral e' ≥ 12 cm/sec | Abnormal (E:A ratio < 1) septal e' < 10 cm/sec lateral e' < 12 cm/sec |
Systolic function | Global longitudinal strain more negative than -16% | Global longitudinal strain less negative than -16% |
Septal hypertrophy | Symmetric | Asymmetric (in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) |
Family history of cardiomyopathy or sudden cardiac death | None | May be present |
Blood pressure response to exercise | Normal | Normal or reduced systolic blood pressure response |
Deconditioning | Left ventricular hypertrophy regression | No left ventricular hypertrophy regression |
* A value of 13 to 15 mm in males and 11 to 13 mm in females is indeterminate. | ||
† A value of 60 to 70 mm is indeterminate. | ||
‡ E:A ratio = ratio of early to late atrial transmitral flow velocity. | ||
Finocchiaro G, Westaby J, Sheppard MN, Papadakis M, Sharma S. Sudden Cardiac Death in Young Athletes: JACC State-of-the-Art Review. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2024;83(2):350-370. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2023.10.032 | ||
