Study highlights risk of heart disease misdiagnosis in athletes

A study published by Imperial College London has shown that people who exercise regularly often have slightly enlarged hearts, a beneficial response to exercise, but one that could lead to a misdiagnosed heart disease.

The research recommended that doctors should considers an individual’s activity level before diagnosing common heart conditions.

The study examined over 1,000 people, with individuals selecting one of four categories that best described their activity level. The study found that one third of participants reported taking part in three to five hours of exercise, with one in five developing an enlarged heart as a result.

Dr Declan O’Regan, of the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, at Imperial College London, and one of the lead scientists on the research, commented: “It’s well known that the hearts of endurance athletes adapt in response to exercise, a phenomenon called ‘athlete’s heart’. This study is the first to show that healthy adults who do regular exercise may also develop enlarged hearts. As a result, there’s a risk that some active adults could be misdiagnosed with heart disease.”

“Going to the gym frequently increases the thickness of your heart muscle and the volume of your heart chambers, particularly the right ventricle. It’s a completely normal, healthy response. It shouldn’t be misdiagnosed as being heart disease.

O’Regan added: “This study was based on an everyday clinical problem. We frequently look at cardiac scans where people have enlarged hearts, and whilst they may have a family history of heart disease, they also do regular exercise. So the question is, have they actually got inherited heart disease, or is it just that they’re active?”

Dr Noel Faherty, Research Advisor at the British Heart Foundation, which helped fund the research, said: “Detectable changes to the heart on an MRI scan are common in elite endurance athletes but some heart conditions, like cardiomyopathy, can be diagnosed by detecting similar changes.

“This study demonstrates the importance of documenting the MRI appearance of healthy, active people’s hearts so normal adaptive changes are recognised by doctors and not mistaken for disease.”