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Atrial Size and Function in Athletes.

G F Gjerdalen1, J Hisdal1, E E Solberg2

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International Journal of Sports Medicine
|October 29, 2015
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Summary

Elite football players show significant variations in left atrial (LA) size, but this does not impact LA function. However, athletes exhibit a higher prevalence of tricuspid regurgitation compared to controls.

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Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Sports Medicine
  • Cardiac Imaging

Background:

  • Elite athletes often exhibit cardiac remodeling, including atrial enlargement.
  • The functional implications of significant left atrial (LA) size variations in athletes are not fully understood.
  • Atrioventricular valve regurgitation is a potential concern in athletes with cardiac adaptations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between changes in left atrial (LA) size and LA function in elite football players.
  • To determine if increased LA size correlates with a higher incidence of atrioventricular valve regurgitation.
  • To compare LA function and valve regurgitation between elite athletes and non-athletic controls.

Main Methods:

  • Echocardiography was used to measure cardiac chamber dimensions, including end-systolic LA volume and end-diastolic LV volume.
  • Pulsed and color Doppler assessed the severity of tricuspid and mitral regurgitation.
  • Two-dimensional (2D) longitudinal strain analysis was performed on athletes with the largest and smallest LA volumes.

Main Results:

  • Significant variations in LA volume were observed among athletes, with some tripling in size compared to others.
  • Despite large variations in LA size, 2D strain analysis did not reveal impaired LA function in athletes with larger atria.
  • Tricuspid regurgitation was significantly more prevalent in football players (58%) than controls (36%), while mitral regurgitation showed no significant difference.
  • Athletes with tricuspid regurgitation had significantly larger right atrial (RA) areas.

Conclusions:

  • Elite football players exhibit substantial variability in atrial size, but this does not compromise left atrial (LA) function.
  • Tricuspid regurgitation is a common finding in elite football players and is associated with larger right atrial (RA) areas.
  • The study highlights the need for further investigation into the mechanisms and clinical significance of tricuspid regurgitation in athletes.