Reference Values of Aortic Root in Male and Female White Elite Athletes According to Sport

Abstract

Background-There is limited information regarding the aortic root upper physiological limits in all planes in elite athletes according to static and dynamic cardiovascular demands and sex. Methods and Results-A cross-sectional study was performed in 3281 healthy elite athletes (2039 men and 1242 women) aged 23.1±5.7 years, with body surface area of 1.9±0.2 m 2 and 8.9±4.9 years and 19.2±9.6 hours/week of training. Maximum end-diastolic aortic root diameters were measured in the parasternal long axis by 2-dimensional echocardiography. Age, left ventricular mass, and body surface area were the main predictors of aortic dimensions. Raw values were greater in males than in females (P<0.0001) at all aortic root levels. Dimensions corrected by body surface area were higher in men than in women at the aortic annulus (13.1±1.7 versus 12.9±1.7 mm/m 2 ; P=0.007), without significant differences at the sinus of Valsalva (16.3±1.9 versus 16.3±1.9 mm/m 2 ; P=0.797), and were smaller in men at the sinotubular junction (13.6±1.8 versus 13.8±1.8 mm/m 2 ; P=0.008) and the proximal ascending aorta (13.8±1.9 versus 14.1±1.9 mm/m 2 ; P=0.001). Only 1.8% of men and 1.5% of women had values >40 mm and 34 mm, respectively. Raw and corrected aortic measures at all levels were significantly greater in sports, with a high dynamic component in both sexes, except for corrected values of the sinotubular junction in women. Conclusions-Aortic root dimensions in healthy elite athletes are within the established limits for the general population.This study describes the normal dimensions for healthy elite athletes classified according to sex and dynamic and static components of their sports. (Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2016;9:e005292.

Prevalence and progression of aortic root dilatation in highly trained young athletes

“…Our study of 3781 athletes is comparable to two previous large studies from Italy1 and Spain,4 which included 2371 and 3281 athletes, respectively. However, the mean aortic diameter in our cohort was slightly smaller than in both of these studies, most probably because our athletes were younger and had trained for a shorter period.…”

“…The impact of sport on aortic dimensions has been a source of great interest and was recently addressed by Boraita et al ,4 who revealed that absolute aortic dimensions were larger in athletes engaging in sporting disciplines with a high dynamic component. In a meta-analysis of 5580 athletes,3 Iskander and Thompson also showed that male endurance athletes had a greater aortic diameter in comparison with strength-trained athletes.…”

Ascending Aortic Dimensions in Former National Football League Athletes

“…Theoretically, these hemodynamic loads would be expected to result in enlargement of the aorta and indeed, alterations in the elastic properties of the aorta have been demonstrated in elite athletes 5 . While studies have indicated that elite athletes have significantly larger ascending aortic dimensions than the general population 5–7 , these changes are small and still fall within established limits for the general population 8 . Very few athletes (1.0–1.8%) have an ascending aorta measuring greater than 40 mm 5, 8, 9 , an arbitrary cut off used clinically and in practice guidelines to define aortic enlargement.…”

The year in cardiology 2016: peripheral circulation

“…4 Suprotno tomu, karotidni plakovi ostaju važno pomagalo za stratifikaciju KV rizika. U 2016. godini dugoročna klinička ravnoteža u praćenju stentiranja karotidnih arterija (CAS) u odnosu prema karotidnoj endarterektomiji (CEA) potvrđena je 10-godišnjom analizom u studiji CREST (Carotid Revascularisation Endarecteromy vs. Stenting Trial), gdje analiza pokazuje sličnu učestalost smrtnosti, moždanih udara, infarkta miokarda unutar 30 dana, ili ipsilateralnog moždanog udara do 10 godina za obje strategije (11,8 % prema 9,9 %; P = 0,51) (Tablica 1). 5 Periproceduralni moždani udar tijekom CAS-a obično je povezan s embolizacijom plaka.…”

“…11 Važ-ni podatci nedavno su objavljeni s obzirom na procjenu rizika od disekcije aorte (AD) u osoba s umjerenom dilatacijom ascendentne aorte.…”