Vascular Health in American Football Players: Cardiovascular Risk Increased in Division III Players.

Deborah L Feairheller,Jessica A Hill,Pam Chlad,Joanna M Mcclelland,Kathleen Sturgeon,Karla A Thiele,Michael P Neal,Jessica M Lenzo,Christina M Cromwell,Allyson K Getty,Joyann E Oakman,Kristin R Aichele,Lauren N Chavis,Avery N Perez,Rachel C Evans,Naomi L Bye,Tia R Wisdo,Erica L Santaniello

doi:10.1155/2016/6851256

Abstract

Studies report that football players have high blood pressure (BP) and increased cardiovascular risk. There are over 70,000 NCAA football players and 450 Division III schools sponsor football programs, yet limited research exists on vascular health of athletes. This study aimed to compare vascular and cardiovascular health measures between football players and nonathlete controls. Twenty-three athletes and 19 nonathletes participated. Vascular health measures included flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT). Cardiovascular measures included clinic and 24 hr BP levels, body composition, VO2 max, and fasting glucose/cholesterol levels. Compared to controls, football players had a worse vascular and cardiovascular profile. Football players had thicker carotid artery IMT (0.49 ± 0.06 mm versus 0.46 ± 0.07 mm) and larger brachial artery diameter during FMD (4.3 ± 0.5 mm versus 3.7 ± 0.6 mm), but no difference in percent FMD. Systolic BP was significantly higher in football players at all measurements: resting (128.2 ± 6.4 mmHg versus 122.4 ± 6.8 mmHg), submaximal exercise (150.4 ± 18.8 mmHg versus 137.3 ± 9.5 mmHg), maximal exercise (211.3 ± 25.9 mmHg versus 191.4 ± 19.2 mmHg), and 24-hour BP (124.9 ± 6.3 mmHg versus 109.8 ± 3.7 mmHg). Football players also had higher fasting glucose (91.6 ± 6.5 mg/dL versus 86.6 ± 5.8 mg/dL), lower HDL (36.5 ± 11.2 mg/dL versus 47.1 ± 14.8 mg/dL), and higher body fat percentage (29.2 ± 7.9% versus 23.2 ± 7.0%). Division III collegiate football players remain an understudied population and may be at increased cardiovascular risk.

Highlights

Hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are global health problems [1, 2]
After completion of the season, the LM group had an increase in high density lipoprotein (HDL) (32.2±9.5 to 39.0±9.0 mg/dL, P < 0.01) and triglyceride levels (107.6 ± 69 to 126.3 ± 83.2 mg/dL, P < 0.05), and the NLM group had a decrease in body weight (84.5 ± 4.9 to 83.2 ± 4.6 kg, P < 0.05) and fasting glucose levels (89.7 ± 6.0 to 86.7 ± 6.9 mg/dL, P < 0.05). This is the first report of cardiovascular health, vascular function, and 24-hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure (ABP) levels in a group of Division III athletes
We found thicker carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) levels, higher systolic BP at all measurement points, higher body fat, and Systolic blood pressure Resting

Summary

Introduction

Hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are global health problems [1, 2]. High blood pressure (BP) has a direct relationship with increased body weight and risk of cardiac incidents and is prevalent in professional and collegiate football players [3,4,5]. It is assumed that the increased physical activity the athletes perform leads to improved cardiac health, but studies report increases in CVD risk. Studies have found that Division I football players have high body fat, metabolic disease, and high resting BP levels and that BP increases over competitive seasons [6,7,8]. Separate research [9] has shown that Division II athletes have high BP, increased body mass index (BMI), and low high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. There are over 70,000 NCAA football players and nearly 450 Division III schools sponsor football programs, yet research is lacking in health of Division III football players, and there is a paucity of research in vascular health of athletes overall [6,7,8,9]

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