Aortic Diameters and Calcifications in Former World-Class Cyclists

Concerns exist on whether athletes--particularly older ones--are at an increased risk of pathological aortic dilation, and the prevalence of aortic calcifications in these individuals is unknown. We aimed to compare the dimensions, distensibility and prevalence of calcifications in the thoracic aort...

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Published in:Medicine and science in sports and exercise 2023-11, Vol.55 (11), p.1945-1951
Main Authors: Valenzuela, Pedro L., Maceira, Alicia, Santos-Lozano, Alejandro, García-González, María P., Ortega, Laura Higueras, Díaz-Gonzalez, Leonel, Boraita, Araceli, Barranco-Gil, David, Lucia, Alejandro
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Concerns exist on whether athletes--particularly older ones--are at an increased risk of pathological aortic dilation, and the prevalence of aortic calcifications in these individuals is unknown. We aimed to compare the dimensions, distensibility and prevalence of calcifications in the thoracic aorta between former male professional cyclists (cases) and sex/age-matched controls. We used a retrospective cohort design, where cases were former finishers of ≥1 Grand Tour (Tour de France, Giro d' Italia or Vuelta a España) and controls were untrained individuals with no previous sports history and free of cardiovascular risk. All participants underwent magnetic resonance and computer tomography assessments for the measurement of aortic dimensions and calcifications, respectively. Cases showed larger (p < 0.05) dimensions than controls for aortic annulus, sinus, and arch, as well as for ascending and descending aorta. However, none of the participants presented with pathological aortic dilation (all diameters
ISSN:0195-9131
1530-0315
DOI:10.1249/MSS.0000000000003236