Treat Hypertension
i recently had a ultrasound of the heart done because i had a ekg performed that showed signs of possible heart enlargment on the left side of the heart, but everything was in check doc said it was normal do to my excessive exercising routines. anyone care to chime in??
"Ventricular hypertrophy (i.e., increased ventricular mass) occurs as the ventricle adapts to increased stress, such as chronically increased
volume load (preload) or increased pressure load (afterload). Although hypertrophy is a physiological response to increased stress, the response can become pathological and ultimately lead to a deterioration in function. For example, hypertrophy is a normal physiological adaptation to exercise training that enables the ventricle to enhance its pumping capacity. This type of physiologic hypertrophy is reversible and non-pathological. In contrast, chronic hypertension causes pathologic ventricular hypertrophy. This response enables the heart to develop greater pressure and to maintain a normal stroke volume despite the increase in afterload. However, over time, pathologic changes occur in the heart that can lead to heart failure."
(Excerpted from
Cardiovascular Physiology Concepts (Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins; 2005)
So yes, some degree of (left) ventricular hypertrophy is to be expected from exercising because the hypertrophy is an adaptive response to the physiological stress. But like many things more is not necessarily better. Continual (left) ventricular hypertrophy becomes pathological. There are two types of pathological ventricular hypertrophy:
eccentric and
concentric. The type of hypertrophy produced by physical exercise is termed
physiologic left ventricular hypertrophy and is distinguished from the pathological forms by the absence of the addition of new sarcomeres.
With concentric hypertrophy the wall of the ventricle thickens (and stiffen) but the ventricular volume stays the same or shrinks. Along with the thickening there is stiffening i.e. a loss of elasticity. Concentric hypertrophy is typically the result of chronic pressure overload. This impairs the ventricles capacity to fill with blood and it reduces stroke volume. This hypertrophy produces an increase in end-diastolic pressure (i.e. the period where the heart fills with blood, after contraction).
With eccentric hypertrophy the wall increases in thickness together with a proportionate increase in ventricular volume. Eccentric hypertrophy is usually due to chronic volume overload (eg. from obesity). Eccentric hypertrophy produces an increase in systolic pressure (i.e. when the heart contracts).
AFAIK AAS produce concentric (left) ventricular hypertrophy and the route of the pathology is uncontrolled hypertension. (With GH I think the effect is direct rather than mediated through hypertension.) Hypertension is in most cases asymptomatic, so a long career of AAS use can produce a hypetrophied left ventricle that will only manifest symptoms very late in the natural history of the disease.
This is why it is important that AAS users monitor their blood pressure (automatic blood pressure monitors are affordable) and treat any hypertension. If you want to avoid/reduce left ventricular hypertrophy then treat hypertension -- it is as simple as that.
i just began dbol but now this thread is BUGGIn me out, even tho i got the go from the doc (which knows what i do gear wise) any second opinions, also what was this guy on what did he take throught his cycle history, as for me i just stick to the basics test and growth some slin (near future) and an oral twice a year, I like to keep it simple yet effective.
You should start monitoring your blood pressure on-cyle (weekly at least) and treat any hypertension. If you are hypertensive during a cycle then you can be certain that your left ventricular wall is thickening. You can be certain because the hypertrophy is a compensatory response to the extra workload produced by the hypertension. These increases in thickness will be progressive and incremental, each cycle with untreated hypertension is adding new sarcomeres, little-by-little.
Fortunately, hypertension is easy to treat and left ventricle hypertrophy can be reversed by treating hypertension. The standard first-line treatment is thiazide type diuretic. If you aren't getting a good reduction in blood pressure from just a thiazide type diuretic then add an ACE inhibitor.
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