Abstract
Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) can be associated with systolic and/or diastolic function abnormalities as well as with changes in high-energy phosphate (HEP) metabolism. The current chapter aims to provide an overview of clinically applicable techniques for MR imaging and phosphorus-31 (31P)-MR spectroscopy to study the human left ventricle. The hypertensive heart, athlete’s heart and hypertrophied heart due to aortic valve stenosis/regurgitation are compared with regard to changes in LV function and HEP metabolism. It is shown that diastolic LV function and myocardial HEP metabolism are impaired only when LVH is caused by permanent pressure or volume overload, and not by a temporary increase in cardiac workload during part of the day as in elite athletes. In addition, there is an association between impaired LV diastolic function and altered myocardial HEP metabolism in patients with hypertension and in patients with aortic valve disease.
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