Former college athletes with a history of athlete's heart and the ACE D/D genotype had a significantly increased risk of later-life left ventricular hypertrophy compared to those with the I/I genotype (OR 13.63).
Cohort (n=980)
No
Does a history of athlete's heart and the ACE D allele increase the risk of later-life left ventricular hypertrophy in former college athletes?
A history of athlete's heart combined with the ACE D allele is associated with a markedly increased risk of developing left ventricular hypertrophy later in life, suggesting a need for long-term cardiac monitoring in this subgroup.
Odds Ratio: 13.63 (95% CI 1.31–142.41)
Absolute Event Rate: 16.7% vs 1.5%
p-value: p=0.033
“Athlete’s heart” refers to the physiological cardiac hypertrophy observed in competitive athletes, which reverts to normal after retirement from competition. However, few studies have examined long-term follow-up. This study investigated whether former college athletes with a history of an athlete’s heart have a higher risk of developing heart disease later in life and examined its association with angiotensin-converting enzyme ( ACE ) insertion (I)/deletion (D) polymorphisms. A total of 980 participants (mean age, 52.0 ± 15.7 years) from the Juntendo University Alumni Study were analyzed. Information on Athlete’s heart during college and subsequent heart disease, including left ventricular hypertrophy, was obtained through self-administered questionnaires in 2018. The ACE I/D genotype was determined based on the rs4341 C/G polymorphism. Of all participants, 177 (18.1%) reported Athlete’s heart during college, and 15 (1.5%) were diagnosed with left ventricular hypertrophy later in life. Former athletes with Athlete’s heart had a 7.3-fold higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy than those without such a history. Moreover, carriers of the D allele showed a further increased risk (odds ratio, 13.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.31–142.41). These findings suggest that regular cardiac monitoring may be warranted to identify potential late-onset cardiac remodeling in former athletes with Athlete’s heart carrying the ACE D allele.
Someya et al. (Fri,) conducted a cohort in Left ventricular hypertrophy (n=980). ACE D/D genotype and history of athlete's heart vs. ACE I/I genotype and history of athlete's heart was evaluated on Left ventricular hypertrophy (OR 13.63, 95% CI 1.31-142.41, p=0.033). Former college athletes with a history of athlete's heart and the ACE D/D genotype had a significantly increased risk of later-life left ventricular hypertrophy compared to those with the I/I genotype (OR 13.63).