Bicuspid Aortic Valve in athletes: an echocardiographic follow up

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is a common congenital cardiac disease in the general population and in athletes. Data on the morphological and functional cardiac parameters are available in non-athletic BAV population. Though BAV is compatible with sports activity, the impact that regular training may have on the heart has not yet been investigated. Purpose: We followed up with echocardiography a group of competitive athletes with BAV matched with tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) group. METHODS: A group of 120 consecutive athletes diagnosed with BAV were followed from January 1999 to December 2005 with yearly echocardiographic evaluations. 60 of these athletes had a full 5 years of follow up. The protocol study was performed at the University Teaching Hospital Specialist Clinic of Florence(Italy). RESULTS: After five years, BAV athletes showed significant progression of left ventricular dimensions and aortic diameters (tab1) despite the values maintain within the range of the general non-athletic BAV populations described in previous studies. In TAV athletes, the aortic and left ventricle dimensions did not increase significantly, and remained within physiological range.TableCONCLUSIONS: There is a significant progressive increase in aorta and left ventricular measurements in competitive BAV athletes as compared to TAV athletes. The rate of the progression in BAV athletes is similar to that in the non-athletic BAV population. Sports activity does not have a deleterious impact on cardiac morphology in athletes with asymptomatic BAV.