Abstract 14142: Association between Myocardial Triglyceride Content and Cardiac Function in Healthy Subjects and Endurance Athletes: Assessed by 1H-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Abstract

Background: Recent studies have reported that myocardial lipid content as well as skeletal muscle steatosis is associated with metabolic disorders. An athlete’s paradox in which endurance athletes have high levels of skeletal muscle lipids has been reported, however, myocardial triglyceride (MTG) content in athletes has not been investigated.

Method: Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) for measuring MTG content and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging using a 1.5T-MR scanner (Avanto, SIEMENS) were performed in 10 male athletes and 15 healthy male controls (Figure). Serum markers and other clinical parameters, including intima-media thickness and arterial stiffness were measured. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing was also performed.

Result: No significant differences in clinical characteristics, including age, anthropometric parameters, blood test results, intima-media thickness, or arterial stiffness were observed between both groups. Peak oxygen uptakes, end diastolic volume (EDV), end systolic volume (ESV), left ventricular mass volume (LVMV), and peak ejection and peak filing rates, were significantly higher in the athlete group than in the control group (all P<0.02). The MTG content were significantly lower in the athlete group than in the control group (0.60 ± 0.20, and 0.89 ± 0.41%, P<0.05). MTG contents were negatively correlated with EDV (r = -0.47), and ESV (r = -0.64), and LV mass volume (r = -0.44) (all P<0.05).

Conclusion: Lower levels of MTG content were associated with physiological cardiac hypertrophy. These data suggest that the measurement of MTG content may be a useful technique for assessing the “athlete’s heart” noninvasively.