• Sanja Mazic, Jelena Suzic Lazic, Milica Dekleva, Milena Antic, Ivan Soldatovic, Marina Djelic, Dejan Nesic, Tijana Acimovic, Milivoje Lazic, Biljana Lazovic, and Slavica Suzic.
• Institute of Medical Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Serbia; Serbian Institute of Sport and Sports Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia.
• Int. J. Cardiol. 2015 Feb 1;180:171-7.

ObjectivesHypertension is one of the most prevalent cardiovascular disorders in athletes. The aims of our study were to assess the impact of elevated blood pressure (BP) on exercise capacity in athletes and evaluate the differences in left ventricular structure and function.MethodsElite male athletes (n=517, aged 23±5years) underwent Doppler echocardiography with tissue Doppler imaging. Diastolic function was assessed by measuring peak early and late transmitral (E and A) and annular diastolic filling velocities (e' and a'). Maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing was performed to measure maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), ventilatory anaerobic threshold (VAT) and heart rate reserve (HRR). After BP measurement, they were grouped according to the ESH/ESC guidelines on: optimal (OBP), normal (NBP), high normal BP (HNBP), and hypertensive (HT).ResultsWe found significantly lower VO2max, VAT and HRR in the groups with HNBP and HT, after the adjustment for the type of sport, body fat content and age. There was an increasing trend in resting HR among groups (p<0.001). Although none of the subjects had impaired diastolic function, the HT group had higher left atrial volume, and lower e' and e'/a'. Resting systolic BP (p<0.05), HR (p<0.001), HRR (p<0.001) and e'/a' (p<0.01) independently predicted VO2max. Indexes E/e' and e'/a' were associated with resting systolic BP (p<0.05).ConclusionEven in the absence of structural or functional heart damage, elevated BP in elite athletes, together with the presence of autonomic dysfunction, leads to decrease in exercise capacity. Staging of hypertension according to the BP level, on the one hand, and reflexion of BP on cardiopulmonary capacity, on the other, may be coupled for further risk stratification.Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

25 keywords...

hide…