Information about a piece of news titled High blood pressure seems to be associated with increased cardiac risk in professional football players
High blood pressure seems to be associated with increased cardiac risk in professional football players
Intoduction
Despite of a low prevalence of hypertension in professional football players, new data published in Journal of Hypertension indicate a novel association between elevated blood pressure and reduced arterial compliance, increased left ventricle mass and left atrium volume even in young athletes.
In 2008, the European Football Associations (UEFA) introduced mandatory cardiac screening of all professional football players.
In Norway, this screening was conducted as a research project after initiative from the national team physician, Thor Einar Andersen, and cardiologists Kjetil Steine and Erik Ekker Solberg.
Almost all teams from the 2 highest Norwegian divisions (28 of 30 teams), a total of 594 male players, participated in this study, conducted during the winter in 2008.
All players were investigated with blood pressure measurements, and electrocardiography (ECG) and echocardiography (echo) of the heart.
Novel association between blood pressure and heart size
The results presented a significant and novel association between elevated blood pressure and increased left atrium and ventricle on both ECG and echo.
- This relationship is well known from studies of elderly patients, but is for the first time detected in healthy young athletes, says Hilde Moseby Berge (picture). She is specialized in family medicine and authorized sports physician, and first author of the study, published in Journal of Hypertension in February.
As expected, fewer football players, compared with healthy young men from a Norwegian population based study (HUNT study, Trøndelag), suffered from hypertension (7% versus 11%).
However, surprisingly for these young, well-trained and highly physically active football players, every 5th player (18%) displayed high normal blood pressure, and every 4th player had blood pressure higher than 130/85 mm Hg.
- Compared to a control group (n=45), exercising ≤3 times a week, we also found that football players had an increased heart size.
An increased heart size is recognized as an usual adaptation to strenuous exercise in athletes, but our findings suggest that elevated blood pressure also contribute to the enlarged heart size.
The combination of high blood pressure and increased heart size may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Athletes with hypertension need follow-up
Athletes with hypertension and increased heart size on ECG should be followed up according to guidelines. They may need treatment, and in some cases abstain from training for a period of time until the heart resume normal size.
The researchers behind this study are Hilde Moseby Berge, Gard Gjerdalen, Thor Einar Andersen, Erik Ekker Solberg, and Kjetil Steine.
Download the paper in Journal of Hypertension
Recommendations for competitive sports participation in athletes with cardiovascular disease (Peeliccia et al. 2005, Eurpoean Heart Journal)