Key result
Long-term athletic training in athletes with mild bicuspid aortic valve was associated with a benign clinical course, with only 7% showing significant disease progression or symptoms.
Why the study?
Does continued athletic training impact the clinical course and progression of valvular disease in athletes with bicuspid aortic valve?
Cohort (n=81)
Does continued athletic training impact the clinical course and progression of valvular disease in athletes with bicuspid aortic valve?
Absolute Event Rate: 7% vs 100%
Athletes with mild bicuspid aortic valve generally have a benign clinical course, but continued clinical surveillance is mandatory due to the risk of disease progression.
Supports ongoing surveillance in athletes with BAV; leaves open whether training influences progression.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a long-term athletic training on the clinical course of bicuspid aortic valve. A group of 81 athletes (73 M, 8 F, 22.7 +/- 5.6 years) with bicuspid aortic valve was collected. Based on clinical and echocardiographic criteria, athletes were initially divided into 2 groups: the low-risk (51 athletes) and the high-risk group (30 athletes). The high-risk athletes were disqualified from training and competitions after the first evaluation. Over the follow-up period, all of them showed significant worsening of morphologic and hemodynamic features of bicuspid aortic valve; two underwent surgical valvular repair and one of them died suddenly. Over the same period, six of the initially low-risk athletes (7%) showed significant worsening of morphologic features of bicuspid aortic valve and/or incidence of symptoms which led to their disqualification from competition. At the end of follow-up, we observed that in high-risk subjects the progression of valvular disease occurred independently from the former athletic activity and that the majority of athletes with mild bicuspid aortic valve had a benign clinical course. However, athletes with bicuspid aortic valve should be viewed with caution, and continued clinical surveillance would be mandatory.
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Spataro et al. (2007) conducted a cohort in Bicuspid aortic valve (n=81). Athletic training vs. Disqualification from training (high-risk group) was evaluated on Significant worsening of morphologic and hemodynamic features of bicuspid aortic valve and/or incidence of symptoms. Long-term athletic training in athletes with mild bicuspid aortic valve was associated with a benign clinical course, with only 7% showing significant disease progression or symptoms.
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