Int J Sports Med 2008; 29(1): 81-85
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-965110
Clinical Sciences

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

The Natural Course of Bicuspid Aortic Valve in Athletes

A. Spataro1 , A. Pelliccia1 , M. Rizzo2 , A. Biffi1 , G. Masazza3 , F. Pigozzi3
  • 1Department of Cardiology, National Institute of Sport Medicine, Rome, Italy
  • 2Department of Sports Medicine, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
  • 3Department of Health Sciences, University of Rome (IUSM), Rome, Italy
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Publikationsverlauf

accepted after revision October 25, 2006

Publikationsdatum:
13. September 2007 (online)

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a long-term athletic training on the clinical course of bicuspid aortic valve. A group of 81 athletes (73 M, 8 F, 22.7 ± 5.6 years) with bicuspid aortic valve was collected. Based on clinical and echocardiographic criteria, athletes were initially divided into 2 groups: the low-risk (51 athletes) and the high-risk group (30 athletes). The high-risk athletes were disqualified from training and competitions after the first evaluation. Over the follow-up period, all of them showed significant worsening of morphologic and hemodynamic features of bicuspid aortic valve; two underwent surgical valvular repair and one of them died suddenly. Over the same period, six of the initially low-risk athletes (7 %) showed significant worsening of morphologic features of bicuspid aortic valve and/or incidence of symptoms which led to their disqualification from competition. At the end of follow-up, we observed that in high-risk subjects the progression of valvular disease occurred independently from the former athletic activity and that the majority of athletes with mild bicuspid aortic valve had a benign clinical course. However, athletes with bicuspid aortic valve should be viewed with caution, and continued clinical surveillance would be mandatory.

References

Dr. Antonio Spataro

Department of Cardiology
National Institute of Sport Medicine

Via dei Campi Sportivi, 46

00197 Rome

Italy

Telefon: + 39 06 36 85 91 81

Fax: + 39 06 36 85 92 56

eMail: antoniospataro@yahoo.it