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Background
There is a paucity of data describing the association between blood pressure (BP) and cardiac remodeling in female collegiate athletes.
Methods
This retrospective cohort review describes the BP characteristics and echocardiographic features of female collegiate athletes during preparticipation evaluation. We evaluated data from 329 fema...
Context in source publication
Context 1
... values in the normal range were found in 184 (56%) athletes, whereas 88 (26.7%) athletes had BP values in the "elevated" range and 57 (17.3%) athletes had BP values in the "stage 1 and 2 hypertension" range. Baseline characteristics of athletes by BP group are shown in Table 2. Taller height, increased weight and increased BSA were associated with the presence of hypertension (p = 0.001, <0.001 and <0.001 respectively). ...Citations
Hypertension is a leading cardiovascular risk factor in athletes. Sport-specific behaviors including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory use, stimulant use, and unhealthy diets may promote hypertension among athletes. Strength-trained athletes may be more susceptible to hypertension than endurance-trained athletes, although this may, in part, be due to body size differences and the more potent antihypertensive effects of aerobic exercise. With confirmed hypertension, young athletes require secondary hypertension evaluation while older athletes require full cardiovascular risk stratification. Calcium channel blockers and renin-angiotensin-system inhibitors are often preferred pharmacotherapy agents. Further selection of antihypertensives must include consideration of potential side effects and legality in specific sports.
