Why the study?
Concerns exist regarding whether athletes, particularly older ones, face an increased risk of pathological aortic dilation, and their prevalence of aortic calcifications is unknown.
Does former professional cycling increase the risk of pathological aortic dilation and calcifications compared to untrained controls?
Population
Former male professional Grand Tour cyclists and sex/age-matched untrained controls free of cardiovascular risk
Comparison
Former professional cyclists vs untrained controls
Design
Retrospective cohort study
Authors
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Similar aortic dimensions/distensibility but slightly higher ascending calcifications in former cyclists; leaves open long-term effects of elite endurance training.
Does former professional cycling increase the risk of pathological aortic dilation and calcifications compared to untrained controls?
Former professional cyclists have larger aortic diameters and more frequent aortic calcifications than untrained controls, though diameters remain within normal limits.
Valenzuela et al. (2023) studied this question.
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