# Cardiology questions
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cardiology-questions/366730
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 31, 2006, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cardiology-questions/366730 "2006-07-31T16:13:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2006, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cardiology-questions/366730/1 "2006-07-31T16:13:46Z")
1. How dangerous is mild left ventricular hypertrophy and mild left atrial enlargement? Do people die often from it or does it just cause other problems that lead to death?
2. Can people live relatively long lives with LVH?
3. Could either of the two cause PVC ?
4. Is LVH and MLH considered heart disease in and of itself or not?
5. Does it every go away? Or are there documented cases of it “going away” with treatment of a beta blocker?
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### Author:  [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2006, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cardiology-questions/366730/2 "2006-07-31T17:43:39Z")
Well, I will (try to) give generic answers to your questions. This is not medical advice (for that, I charge 😉 )
LVH is a potent risk factor for heart attack and, frankly, sudden death. That was shown by the famous [Framingham study](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=10723112&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_DocSum). Still, it is one of several risk factors and is by no means a “death sentence”. On the contrary, treatment of high blood pressure, in particular, often reverses LVH.
Left atrial enlargement is a risk factor for the eventual development of atrial fibrillation (an irregular heart rhythm). Once more, it probably is a reflection of the high pressures from the LV “backing up” into the left atrium.
LVH can definitely reverse. Interestingly, and contrary to one’s intuition, treatment of associated high blood pressure doesn’t always lead to a reversal in LVH. Look [here](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=14728026&query_hl=4&itool=pubmed_DocSum).
Sorry, I can’t write more now - I’m late . . .
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### Author:  [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2006, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cardiology-questions/366730/3 "2006-07-31T20:24:06Z")
What if you have these conditions and have normal blood pressure and always have had normal blood pressure?
BTW, thanks for the answers.
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### Author:  [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2006, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cardiology-questions/366730/4 "2006-07-31T20:35:54Z")
In other words, you have “athelete’s heart” and no other health problems.
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### Author:  [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2006, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cardiology-questions/366730/5 "2006-08-03T19:49:34Z")
Apologies for the lengthy delay.
In truth, I seldom encounter people with “Athlete’s Heart” and know nothing about it. My practice is 100% acute, inpatient medicine - we just don’t see athletes (no kiddin’, eh?).
In any event, I did find what looks to be a nice article summarizing what’s known about Athlete’s Heart and how it compares/contrasts with more typical LVH. Although directed at docs, you may still want to take a peek at it. Let me know if I can try to elucidate anything.
[Here’s the article - Athlete’s Heart](http://heart.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/89/12/1455).
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### Author:  [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2006, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cardiology-questions/366730/6 "2006-08-03T21:56:33Z")
Thanks, KarlGauss