Female hearts may react differently than male hearts during endurance athletics, according to Medscape.
A study looked at 1,083 young adult athletes, who experienced echocardiography.
Here are six notes:
1. The study found that women experienced eccentric hypertrophy, with "normal relative wall thickness but increased left ventricular mass," during endurance sports.
2. When men played the same sports, they demonstrated concentric hypertrophy.
3. Sanjay Sharma, MD, of George's University of London, United Kingdom, led the study.
4. The study discovered women had lower left ventricular mass and relative wall thickness than men.
5. Dr. Sharma said women increased their cavities more, but did not increase their wall thickness.
6. Researchers concluded that physician should be careful when diagnosing, to avoid mistaking a physiological difference for a disease.