Key result
A history of lower extremity joint injury and diagnosed osteoarthritis in former NFL athletes was associated with a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (PRadj 1.53; 95% CI 1.31-1.78).
Why the study?
Traumatic joint injuries in NFL players raise the risk of osteoarthritis and potentially cardiovascular disease, but the associations between joint injury, osteoarthritis, and cardiovascular risk factors or disease among former athletes remained unclear.
Does a history of lower extremity joint injury and osteoarthritis increase the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and risk factors in former NFL athletes?
Cross-Sectional (n=1,738)
Does a history of lower extremity joint injury and osteoarthritis increase the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and risk factors in former NFL athletes?
Relative Risk: 1.53 (95% CI 1.31–1.78)
A history of lower extremity joint injury and osteoarthritis is associated with a significantly higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in former NFL athletes, highlighting a potential pathway to chronic disease.
May warrant CV risk assessment in former athletes with LE injury/OA; hypothesis-generating for causal pathways in observational data.
CONTEXT: Individuals with lower extremity osteoarthritis (OA) have a 25% greater risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than those without OA. The prevalence of traumatic joint injuries among National Football League (NFL) players exposes these athletes to an elevated risk for OA and potentially a greater risk of cardiovascular risk factors (CRFs) and CVD. OBJECTIVES: To examine the associations between a history of lower extremity joint injury, lower extremity OA, and the prevalence of CRFs and CVD among former NFL athletes. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Former NFL players completed a comprehensive health questionnaire that was used in an ongoing study, the Neurologic Function Across the Lifespan: A Prospective, Longitudinal, and Translational Study for Former NFL Players (NFL-LONG). A subsample of 1738 former players reported lifetime medical diagnoses including CVD or CRFs. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PRsadj) characterized the associations between CVD or CRFs and injury, OA diagnosis, or both among athletes who reported (1) no history of lower extremity joint injury or surgery and no diagnosed OA, (2) a history of lower extremity joint injury or surgery and no diagnosed OA, and (3) a history of lower extremity joint injury or surgery and diagnosed OA. RESULTS: Neither a history of lower extremity joint injury (PRadj = 1.34; 95% CI = 0.86, 2.07) nor a history of lower extremity joint injury and diagnosed OA (PRadj = 1.41; 95% CI = 0.89, 2.25) was significantly associated with CVD. However, CRFs were 30% and 53% more prevalent in former players with lower extremity joint injury and no diagnosed OA (PRadj = 1.30; 95% CI = 1.12, 1.50) and those with lower extremity joint injury and diagnosed OA (PRadj = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.31, 1.78), respectively, versus athletes with no history of either condition. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of CRFs was highest among former NFL athletes with a history of lower extremity joint injury and diagnosed OA. These findings provide insight regarding the potential pathways to chronic diseases that may be initiated by joint injury early in life.
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Kuenze et al. (2023) conducted a cross-sectional in Cardiovascular disease and risk factors (n=1,738). History of lower extremity joint injury and diagnosed osteoarthritis vs. No history of lower extremity joint injury or surgery and no diagnosed osteoarthritis was evaluated on Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (CRFs) (PRadj 1.53, 95% CI 1.31-1.78). A history of lower extremity joint injury and diagnosed osteoarthritis in former NFL athletes was associated with a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (PRadj 1.53; 95% CI 1.31-1.78).
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