Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk in Collegiate Football Players and Nonathletes

UNLABELLED: Collegiate American football players may be at risk for cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE: to compare cardiovascular disease risk factors and cardiovascular structure and function parameters of football players, stratified by position, to a group of sedentary, nonathletes. PARTICIPANTS: twenty-six collegiate football players and 13 nonathletes participated in this study. METHODS: blood pressures, anthropometrics, and blood chemistries were obtained and analyzed using standardized procedures. Resting echocardiography was used to evaluate cardiac morphology and function. Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation was assessed using high-resolution ultrasonography. RESULTS: the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was significantly higher amongst the linemen compared to the skill-position players (46% versus 0%, p < .05). Mildly abnormal wall thickness was noted in 20% of the football players. No significant differences in vascular function were observed between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: the increased prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its components in the collegiate linemen may increase cardiovascular disease risk.