Key result
Exaggerated exercise BP response in male elite athletes is linked to ~0.9 mm larger aortic roots.
Why the study?
Although the SBP/MET slope reliably identifies an exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise, whether aortic root diameter correlates with an exaggerated blood pressure response and vascular function in elite athletes remained unknown.
Does an exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise correlate with increased aortic root diameter and altered vascular function in healthy male elite athletes?
Cross-Sectional (n=652)
No
Does an exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise correlate with increased aortic root diameter and altered vascular function in healthy male elite athletes?
An exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise in elite athletes is associated with increased central systolic blood pressure and altered aortic root remodeling indices.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Exaggerated exercise BP response may mark aortic remodeling in elite athletes; leaves open whether screening or intervention is warranted.
BACKGROUND: The systolic blood pressure/workload (SBP/MET) slope was recently reported to reliably identify an exaggerated blood pressure response (eBPR) in the normal population and in athletes. We investigated whether the aortic root diameter (AoD) also correlates with an eBPR and vascular function in elite athletes. METHODS: We examined 652 healthy male elite athletes (age 25.8 ± 5 years) of mixed sports with a standardized maximum exercise test. Central blood pressure and vascular function were measured non-invasively with a validated oscillometric device. The SBP/MET slope was calculated and the threshold for an eBPR was set at > 6.2 mmHg/MET. Two groups were defined (≤ 6.2 and > 6.2 mmHg/MET), and an association between AoD and vascular function with the SBP/MET slope was evaluated for each group. RESULTS: Athletes with an eBPR (n = 191, 29%) displayed a higher systolic central BP (103 ± 7.7 vs. 101 ± 9.2 mmHg, p = 0.004), larger AoD (32.8 ± 3.3 vs. 31.9. ± 3.2 mm, p < 0.001), a higher AoD/left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) ratio (0.62 ± 0.061 vs. 0.59. ± 0.056, p < 0.001), a lower LVEDD/AoD ratio (1.64 ± 0.16 vs. 1.69. ± 0.16, p < 0.001), and a lower absolute (299 ± 59 vs. 379 ± 65 W, p < 0.001) and relative workload (3.17 ± 0.55 vs. 4.05 ± 1.2 W/kg, p < 0.001) vs. athletes with a normal SBP/MET slope (n = 461, 71%). No differences between the two groups were found after indexing AoD to body surface area (BSA) (14.76 ± 1.36 vs. 14.73 ± 1.41, p = 0.772). CONCLUSION: Athletes with eBPR displayed altered AoD/LVEDD and LVEDD/AoD ratios, whereas AoD/BSA indexing was not different. Further longitudinal studies are encouraged to explore these metrics and their role in aortic remodeling of athletes.
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Most et al. (2024) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy male elite athletes (n=652). Exaggerated blood pressure response (SBP/MET slope > 6.2 mmHg/MET) vs. Normal blood pressure response (SBP/MET slope ≤ 6.2 mmHg/MET) was evaluated on Aortic root diameter (AoD) in mm (p=<0.001). Male elite athletes with an exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise displayed a significantly larger aortic root diameter (32.8 vs. 31.9 mm) compared to athletes with a normal response.
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