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The following is a summary of “Association of aortic root diameter and vascular function with an exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise among elite athletes,” published in the December 2024 issue of Cardiology by Most et al.
The systolic blood pressure per metabolic equivalent (SBP/MET) slope has been identified as a reliable marker for detecting an exaggerated blood pressure response (eBPR) during exercise in both healthy individuals and athletes.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to explore the relationship between aortic root diameter (AoD), vascular function, and eBPR among elite athletes.
They included 652 healthy male elite athletes (mean age 25.8 ± 5 years) from various sports. Participants underwent a standardized maximum exercise test, and central BP and vascular function were measured using a validated non-invasive oscillometric device, the SBP/MET slope threshold for eBPR was set at >6.2 mmHg/MET, dividing participants into 2 groups: ≤6.2 mmHg/MET and >6.2 mmHg/MET.
The results showed 29% of the athletes (n = 191) had eBPR, characterized by higher central SBP (103 ± 7.7 vs. 101 ± 9.2 mmHg, P=0.004), larger AoD; 32.8 ± 3.3 vs. 31.9 ± 3.2 millimeters, P<0.001), and altered ratios of AoD to left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (AoD/LVEDD; 0.62 ± 0.061 vs. 0.59 ± 0.056, P<0.001) and LVEDD to AoD (1.64 ± 0.16 vs. 1.69 ± 0.16, P<0.001). Athletes with eBPR also exhibited lower absolute workload (299 ± 59 vs. 379 ± 65 watts, P<0.001) and relative workload (3.17 ± 0.55 vs. 4.05 ± 1.2 watts/kilogram, P<0.001). No significant differences were found in AoD indexed to body surface area (14.76 ± 1.36 vs. 14.73 ± 1.41, P=0.772).
They concluded that individuals with eBPR exhibited altered aortic and ventricular dimensional ratios, while the indexed AoD remained unchanged, suggesting potential aortic remodeling among elite athletes.
Source: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00392-024-02591-3
