Araceli Boraita1, Francisco Morales-Acuna1,2, Manuel Marina-Breysse1,3, María-Eugenia Heras1, Alicia Canda4, María-Eugenia Fuentes5, Antonio Chacón5, Leonel Diaz-Gonzalez1, Manuel Rabadan6, Begoña Parra Laca7, Leopoldo Pérez de Isla7, José Tuñón8. 1. Department of Cardiology, Sports Medicine Center, Spanish Agency for Health Protection in Sports, C/Pintor El Greco s/n, Madrid, Spain. 2. Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health Sciences, The University of Texas at el Paso, 500 West University Avenue, Texas, USA. 3. Myocardial Pathophysiology Area, Fundación Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Calle de Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3, Madrid, Spain. 4. Department of Anthropometry, Sports Medicine Center, Spanish Agency for Health Protection in Sports, C/Pintor El Greco s/n, Madrid, Spain. 5. Department of Cardiology, Hospital Infanta Cristina, Av. de Elvas, s/n, Badajoz, Spain. 6. Department of Exercise Physiology, Sports Medicine Center, Spanish Agency for Health Protection in Sports, C/Pintor El Greco s/n, Madrid, Spain. 7. Department of Cardiology, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Calle del Prof Martín Lagos, s/n, Madrid, Spain. 8. Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Av. de los Reyes Católicos, 2, Madrid, Spain and Universidad Autónoma, Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain.
Abstract
AIMS: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) among elite athletes and to analyse the effect of long-term exercise training on their aortas. METHODS AND RESULTS: Consecutive BAV and tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) elite athletes from a population of 5136 athletes evaluated at the Sports Medicine Center of the Spanish National Sports Council were identified using echocardiography. A total of 41 BAV elite athletes were matched with 41 TAV elite athletes, and 41 BAV non-athletic patients from three Spanish tertiary hospitals. Sixteen BAV elite athletes who had undergone at least two cardiac evaluations separated by more than 3 years were selected to assess their clinical course. The prevalence of BAV in elite athletes was 0.8%. The proximal ascending aorta was larger for both BAV groups in comparison to TAV athletes (P = 0.001). No differences in aortic diameters were found between BAV athletes and BAV non-athletes. In BAV elite athletes, the annual growth rates for aortic annulus, sinuses of Valsalva, sinotubular junction, and proximal ascending aorta were 0.04 ± 0.24, 0.11 ± 0.59, 0.14 ± 0.38, and 0.21 ± 0.44 mm/year, respectively. Aortic regurgitation was the only functional abnormality, but no significant progression was found. CONCLUSION: High-intensity training and sports competition may not aggravate BAV condition during elite athletes' careers. BAV elite athletes with mild-to-moderately dilated aortas may engage in high dynamic cardiovascular exercise without adverse consequences, although an echocardiographic follow-up is recommended. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved.
AIMS: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) among elite athletes and to analyse the effect of long-term exercise training on their aortas. METHODS AND RESULTS: Consecutive BAV and tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) elite athletes from a population of 5136 athletes evaluated at the Sports Medicine Center of the Spanish National Sports Council were identified using echocardiography. A total of 41 BAV elite athletes were matched with 41 TAV elite athletes, and 41 BAV non-athletic patients from three Spanish tertiary hospitals. Sixteen BAV elite athletes who had undergone at least two cardiac evaluations separated by more than 3 years were selected to assess their clinical course. The prevalence of BAV in elite athletes was 0.8%. The proximal ascending aorta was larger for both BAV groups in comparison to TAV athletes (P = 0.001). No differences in aortic diameters were found between BAV athletes and BAV non-athletes. In BAV elite athletes, the annual growth rates for aortic annulus, sinuses of Valsalva, sinotubular junction, and proximal ascending aorta were 0.04 ± 0.24, 0.11 ± 0.59, 0.14 ± 0.38, and 0.21 ± 0.44 mm/year, respectively. Aortic regurgitation was the only functional abnormality, but no significant progression was found. CONCLUSION: High-intensity training and sports competition may not aggravate BAV condition during elite athletes' careers. BAV elite athletes with mild-to-moderately dilated aortas may engage in high dynamic cardiovascular exercise without adverse consequences, although an echocardiographic follow-up is recommended. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved.
Authors: Emanuele Monda; Adelaide Fusco; Alessandro Della Corte; Martina Caiazza; Annapaola Cirillo; Felice Gragnano; Maria Pina Giugliano; Rodolfo Citro; Marta Rubino; Augusto Esposito; Arturo Cesaro; Francesco Di Fraia; Giuseppe Palmiero; Marco Di Maio; Marcellino Monda; Paolo Calabrò; Giulia Frisso; Stefano Nistri; Eduardo Bossone; Simon C Body; Maria Giovanna Russo; Giuseppe Limongelli Journal: Pediatr Cardiol Date: 2021-04-16 Impact factor: 1.655
Authors: Araceli Boraita; María-Eugenia Heras; Pedro L Valenzuela; Leonel Diaz-Gonzalez; Francisco Morales-Acuna; María Alcocer-Ayuga; Sonia Bartolomé-Mateos; Alejandro Santos-Lozano; Alejandro Lucia Journal: Front Cardiovasc Med Date: 2022-07-22
Authors: Araceli Boraita; Leonel Díaz-Gonzalez; Alejandro Santos-Lozano; Alejandro Lucia; Pedro L Valenzuela; María-Eugenia Heras; Francisco Morales-Acuna; Adrián Castillo-García; María J Lucia; Pedro Suja Journal: Sports Med Open Date: 2022-09-15