Relationship Between Arterial Stiffness And Cardiac Function In Athletes

Abstract

Arterial function and left ventricular (LV) function are inter-related. In fact, increased arterial stiffness increases afterload and causes decrease in LV diastolic function in elderly hypertensive patients. The high arterial stiffness causes increased myocardial workload for compensation. However, the relationship between arterial stiffness and cardiac function in athletes remain unknown. PURPOSE: The present study aimed to determine the relationship between aortic stiffness and LV function in athletes. METHODS: The participants in this study were 16 male college athletes (age 21.5±0.9 yrs). Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), which reflects aortic stiffness, was measured using an automatic oscillometric device. In addition, cardiac function was measured using a ultrasoundechography. Color Doppler, Pulsed Doppler, and Tissue Doppler images were recorded and used to assess LV diastolic function, evaluated as the early and late mitral inflow velocity ratio (E/A ratio) and early septal mitral anulus movement velocity (e’). The “E/A ratio” is a classical method of assessing LV diastolic function and is influenced by afterload. On the other hand, “e’” is an index of myocardial stiffness, but is not influenced by afterload. We examined the correlation between cfPWV and each indicator of LV diastolic function. Data analysis was performed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. RESULTS: A negative correlation between cfPWV and E/A ratio (r=0.557, p=0.02) was observed. However, there was no correlation between cfPWV and e’ (r=-0.076, p=0.772). CONCLUSION: These results suggested that higher aortic stiffness causes decreased LV diastolic function in athletes, regardless of LV myocardial stiffness.