Table 2.
Clinical characteristics of the two groups
| Clinical features | Physically active subjects' group (n = 53) | Sedentary subject' group (n = 37) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age at diagnosis, years | 4.8 ± 4.7 | 3.2 ± 3.7 | 0.088 |
| Age at study enrolment, years | 13.2 ± 2.5 | 9.3 ± 3.0 | < 0.001* |
| Body surface area, m2 | 1.6 ± 0.3 | 1.3 ± 0.3 | < 0.001* |
| BAV morphology | 0.970 | ||
| Type 0 | 4 (7.5) | 3 (8.1) | 0.922 |
| Type 1 | 44 (83) | 30 (81.1) | 0.813 |
| Subtype R-L | 31 (58.5) | 21 (56.7) | 0.966 |
| Subtype R-NC | 13 (24.5) | 9 (24.3) | 0.966 |
| Type 2 | 5 (9.4) | 4 (10.8) | 0.830 |
| Aortic regurgitation | 28 (52.8) | 19 (51.3) | 0.890 |
| Mild | 24 (45.3) | 11 (29.7) | 0.136 |
| Moderate | 3 (5.7) | 5 (13.5) | 0.198 |
| Severe | 1 (1.9) | 3 (8.1) | 0.159 |
|
Sinuses of Valsalva diameter mm |
27.2 ± 4.3 | 23.8 ± 3.9 | < 0.001* |
| z score, median (IQR) | 0.7 (1.9) | 0.4 (1.6) | 0.253 |
|
Sinuses of Valsalva dilation, mild (≥ 2 and ≤ 4 z score) severe (> 4 z score ) |
8 (15.1) | 5 (13.5) | 0.834 |
| 8 (15.1) | 4 (10.8) | 0.556 | |
| 0 (0) | 1 (2.7) | 0.229 | |
|
Ascending aorta diameter mm |
28.3 ± 5.1 | 25.6 ± 4.4 | 0.009* |
| z score, median (IQR) | 2.4 (2.5) | 2.8 (2.6) | 0.633 |
|
Ascending aorta dilation, mild (≥ 2 and ≤ 4 z score ) severe (> 4 z score ) |
33 (62.3) | 21 (56.7) | 0.600 |
| 20 (37.7) | 16 (43.2) | 0.600 | |
| 13 (24.5) | 5 (13.5) | 0.199 | |
| Sinus of Valsalva diameter progression > 10 mm | 7 (13.2) | 3 (8.1) | 0.449 |
| Ascending aorta diameter progression > 10 mm | 5 (9.4) | 5 (13.5) | 0.545 |
Data are presented in mean ± SD or n (%), unless otherwise indicated
BAV bicuspid aortic valve
*p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant