Physiologic Left Ventricular Cavity Dilatation in Elite Athletes
Authors: Antonio Pelliccia, Barry J. Maron
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1999)

Letters5 October 1999Physiologic Left Ventricular Cavity Dilatation in Elite AthletesAntonio Pelliccia, MD and Barry J. Maron, MDAntonio Pelliccia, MDInstitute of Sports Science; Rome 00197, Italy (Pelliccia)Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation; Minneapolis, MN 55407 (Maron) and Barry J. Maron, MDInstitute of Sports Science; Rome 00197, Italy (Pelliccia)Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation; Minneapolis, MN 55407 (Maron)Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-131-7-199910050-00027 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail IN RESPONSE:Dr. Ribeiro asks whether the marked left ventricular remodeling we described in elite athletes may have been partially determined by anabolic steroid use. This intriguing question also suggests that the substantial left ventricular cavity dilatation present in some highly trained athletes may be not an entirely physiologic phenomenon and possibly an expression of a pathologic condition. Athletes examined as a part of our medical program at the Institute of Sports Science in Rome have denied the use of all illicit drugs, including anabolic steroid hormones; however, actual testing for these drugs is not a routine part of our ...References1. Salke RC, Rowland TW, Burke EJ. Left ventricular size and function in body builders using anabolic steroids. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1985;17:701-4. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Urhausen A, Holpes R, Kindermann W. One- and two-dimensional echocardiography in bodybuilders using anabolic steroids. Eur J Appl Physiol. 1989;58:633-40. CrossrefGoogle Scholar3. De Piccoli B, Giada F, Benettin A, Sartori F, Piccolo E. Anabolic steroid use in body builders: an echocardiographic study of left ventricle morphology and function. Int J Sports Med. 1991;12:408-12. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Thompson PD, Sadaniantz A, Cullinane EM, Bodziony KS, Catlin DH, Torek-Both G, et al . Left ventricular function is not impaired in weight-lifters who use anabolic steroids. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1992;19:278-82. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Institute of Sports Science; Rome 00197, Italy (Pelliccia)Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation; Minneapolis, MN 55407 (Maron) PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoPhysiologic Left Ventricular Cavity Dilatation in Elite Athletes Antonio Pelliccia , Franco Culasso , Fernando M. Di Paolo , and Barry J. Maron Physiologic Left Ventricular Cavity Dilatation in Elite Athletes Isabela Ribeiro and Jardim Botanico Metrics Cited By(Dilated cardiomyopathy and myocarditis in an athlete)A Review of Players' Characterization and Game Performance on Male Rink-HockeyInfluence of Vigorous Physical Activity on Structure and Function of the Cardiovascular System in Young Athletes—The MuCAYA-StudySPORTO ŠAKOS ĮTAKA 12-17 METŲ SPORTININKŲ KAIRIOJO SKILVELIO MORFOMETRIJAI 5 October 1999Volume 131, Issue 7Page: 546KeywordsDrugsHormonesSportsSteroid hormones Issue Published: 5 October 1999 CopyrightCopyright © 1999 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...