Echocardiographic studies in Saudi athletes

ABSTRACT

M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiograms were carried out on 334 Saudi athletes in different sporting activities during the peak of their training seasons. They were compared with 25 age-matched controls comprised of men who were not involved in any systematic sporting activities. The findings of this study indicate that, while controlling for body surface area, the athletes had, in general, higher mean values in all of the measured cardiac parameters when compared with the controls. The differences were especially significant for the thickness of the left ventricular posterior wall and the interventricular septum. However, athletes such as tennis players and high jumpers who were known not to train vigorously did not have values higher than the controls. The results showed that the septal hypertrophy observed was not of that nature as to obstruct the left ventricular outflow tract as found in obstructive cardiomyopathy and is therefore not likely to contribute to sudden death in athletes. The data obtained in this study were compared with those found in athletes of some other countries