Nuria Garatachea1, Alejandro Santos-Lozano2, Fabian Sanchis-Gomar3, Carmen Fiuza-Luces4, Helios Pareja-Galeano3, Enzo Emanuele5, Alejandro Lucia6. 1. Department of Physiotherapy and Nursing, University of Zaragoza, Huesca, Spain; Research Institute of Hospital 12 de Octubre ('i+12'), Madrid, Spain. 2. Research Institute of Hospital 12 de Octubre ('i+12'), Madrid, Spain; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of León, León, Spain. 3. Department of Physiology, University of Valencia and Fundación Investigación Hospital Clínico Universitario/INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain. 4. Research Institute of Hospital 12 de Octubre ('i+12'), Madrid, Spain; European University, Madrid, Spain. 5. Department of Health Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. 6. Research Institute of Hospital 12 de Octubre ('i+12'), Madrid, Spain; European University, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: alejandro.lucia@uem.es.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To perform a meta-analysis of cohort studies aimed at providing an accurate overview of mortality in elite athletes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed English-language scientific articles available in Medline and Web of Science databases following the recommendations of the Meta-analyses Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology group. We searched for publications on longevity and professional or elite athletes (with no restriction on the starting date and up to March 31, 2014). RESULTS: Ten studies, including data from a total of 42,807 athletes (707 women), met all inclusion criteria. The all-cause pooled standard mortality ratio (SMR) was 0.67 (95% CI, 0.55-0.81; P<.001) with no evidence of publication bias (P=.24) but with significant heterogeneity among studies (I(2)=96%; Q=224.46; P<.001). Six studies provided data on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and 5 on cancer (in a total of 35,920 and 12,119 athletes, respectively). When only CVD was considered as a cause of mortality, the pooled SMR was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.65-0.82; P<.001) with no evidence of bias (P=.68) or heterogenity among studies (I(2)=38%; Q=8.07; P=.15). The SMR for cancer was 0.60 (95% CI, 0.38-0.94; P=.03) with no evidence of bias (P=.20) despite a significant heterogeneity (I(2)=91%; Q=44.21; P<.001). CONCLUSION: The evidence available indicates that top-level athletes live longer than the general population and have a lower risk of 2 major causes of mortality, namely, CVD and cancer.
OBJECTIVE: To perform a meta-analysis of cohort studies aimed at providing an accurate overview of mortality in elite athletes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed English-language scientific articles available in Medline and Web of Science databases following the recommendations of the Meta-analyses Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology group. We searched for publications on longevity and professional or elite athletes (with no restriction on the starting date and up to March 31, 2014). RESULTS: Ten studies, including data from a total of 42,807 athletes (707 women), met all inclusion criteria. The all-cause pooled standard mortality ratio (SMR) was 0.67 (95% CI, 0.55-0.81; P<.001) with no evidence of publication bias (P=.24) but with significant heterogeneity among studies (I(2)=96%; Q=224.46; P<.001). Six studies provided data on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and 5 on cancer (in a total of 35,920 and 12,119 athletes, respectively). When only CVD was considered as a cause of mortality, the pooled SMR was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.65-0.82; P<.001) with no evidence of bias (P=.68) or heterogenity among studies (I(2)=38%; Q=8.07; P=.15). The SMR for cancer was 0.60 (95% CI, 0.38-0.94; P=.03) with no evidence of bias (P=.20) despite a significant heterogeneity (I(2)=91%; Q=44.21; P<.001). CONCLUSION: The evidence available indicates that top-level athletes live longer than the general population and have a lower risk of 2 major causes of mortality, namely, CVD and cancer.
Authors: Fabian Sanchis-Gomar; Laura M Pérez; Michael J Joyner; Herbert Löllgen; Alejandro Lucia Journal: Sports Med Date: 2016-04 Impact factor: 11.136
Authors: Alejandro Santos-Lozano; Javier Ramos; Alejandro Alvarez-Bustos; Blanca Cantos; Lidia B Alejo; Itziar Pagola; Ana Soria; Constanza Maximiano; Carmen Fiuza-Luces; Luisa Soares-Miranda; Alejandro Lucia; Ana Ruiz-Casado Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2018-02-05 Impact factor: 3.603
Authors: F Sanchis-Gomar; H Pareja-Galeano; C Perez-Quilis; A Santos-Lozano; C Fiuza-Luces; N Garatachea; G Lippi; A Lucia Journal: Cell Stress Chaperones Date: 2014-09-03 Impact factor: 3.667
Authors: Laura F DeFina; Nina B Radford; Carolyn E Barlow; Benjamin L Willis; David Leonard; William L Haskell; Stephen W Farrell; Andjelka Pavlovic; Katelyn Abel; Jarett D Berry; Amit Khera; Benjamin D Levine Journal: JAMA Cardiol Date: 2019-02-01 Impact factor: 14.676
Authors: Shuaib M Abdullah; Kyler W Barkley; Paul S Bhella; Jeffrey L Hastings; Susan Matulevicius; Naoki Fujimoto; Shigeki Shibata; Graeme Carrick-Ranson; M Dean Palmer; Nainesh Gandhi; Laura F DeFina; Benjamin D Levine Journal: Circ Cardiovasc Imaging Date: 2016-11 Impact factor: 7.792