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Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Factors Among Former National Football League Players
Alexis K Okoh1, Michael K D Amponsah2, Shannon Cheffet-Walsh3
1Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Insights
Former NFL athletes have high rates of undiagnosed hypertension and cardiac abnormalities. The HUDDLE study revealed a significant gap between self-reported health and actual cardiovascular disease prevalence in this population.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Preventive Medicine
- Sports Medicine
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading global cause of mortality.
- Prevalence data for CVD in former professional athletes are limited.
- The HUDDLE study addresses this gap by focusing on NFL alumni.
Purpose of the Study:
- To raise awareness and estimate CVD prevalence in NFL alumni and families.
- To identify CVD risk factors within this demographic.
- To utilize screening events for early detection and intervention.
Main Methods:
- A multicity, cross-sectional study involving NFL alumni and family members aged 50+.
- Health history reporting, CVD education, and screenings (BP, ECG, TTE).
- Phone follow-up to discuss results and recommendations.
Main Results:
- 89.8% prevalence of hypertension in NFL alumni, with only 37.5% self-reporting a history.
- 61.8% of participants showed structural cardiac abnormalities via TTE.
- Hypertension significantly predicted clinically relevant structural abnormalities on TTE.
Conclusions:
- A significant discrepancy exists between self-awareness and actual CVD prevalence in former NFL players.
- Most participants had structural cardiac abnormalities, independently predicted by hypertension.
- Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) is valuable for CVD screening in former athletes over 50.
Background:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, but prevalence estimates in former professional athletes are limited.
Objectives:
HUDDLE (Heart Health: Understanding and Diagnosing Disease by Leveraging Echocardiograms) aimed to raise awareness and estimate the prevalence of CVD and associated risk factors among members of the National Football League (NFL) Alumni Association and their families through education and screening events.
Methods:
HUDDLE was a multicity, cross-sectional study of NFL alumni and family members aged 50 years and older. Subjects reported their health history and participated in CVD education and screening (blood pressure, electrocardiogram, and transthoracic echocardiogram [TTE] assessments). Phone follow-up by investigators occurred 30 days postscreening to review results and recommendations. This analysis focuses on former NFL athletes.
Results:
Of 498 participants screened, 57.2% (N = 285) were former NFL players, the majority of whom were African American (67.6%). The prevalence of hypertension among NFL alumni was estimated to be 89.8%, though only 37.5% reported a history of hypertension. Of 285 evaluable participants, 61.8% had structural cardiac abnormalities by TTE. Multivariable analysis showed that hypertension was a significant predictor of clinically relevant structural abnormalities on TTE.
Conclusions:
HUDDLE identified a large discrepancy between participant self-awareness and actual prevalence of CVD and risk factors, highlighting a significant opportunity for population health interventions. Structural cardiac abnormalities were observed in most participants and were independently predicted by hypertension, affirming the role of TTE for CVD screening in this population aged older than 50 years. (Heart Health: Understanding and Diagnosing Disease by Leveraging Echocardiograms [HUDDLE]; NCT05009589).
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