The Upper Limit of Physiologic Cardiac Hypertrophy in Highly Trained Elite Athletes

Abstract

In some highly trained athletes, the thickness of the left ventricular wall may increase as a consequence of exercise training and resemble that found in cardiac diseases associated with left ventricular hypertrophy, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In these athletes, the differential diagnosis between physiologic and pathologic hypertrophy may be difficult.