Table 1.
Patient characteristics of the 1137 examined athletes without known arterial hypertension stratified for exaggerated blood pressure response according to AHA guideline.
| Parameters | Normal Blood Pressure Response According to AHA Classification (n = 914; 80.4%) | Exaggerated Blood Pressure Response According to AHA Classification (n = 223; 19.6%) | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (in years) | 17.0 (15.0/22.0) | 22.0 (18.0/33.0) | <0.001 |
| Female sex | 321 (35.1%) | 74 (33.2%) | 0.586 |
| Body height (cm) | 174.0 (166.9/181.0) | 179.0 (173.0/184.0) | <0.001 |
| Body weight (kg) | 67.0 (57.6/77.7) | 75.8 (68.0/85.8) | <0.001 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 22.0 (20.2/24.1) | 23.4 (22.0/25.4) | <0.001 |
| Body fat (%) | 11.3 (8.5/16.4) | 11.9 (9.0/16.3) | 0.140 |
| Leading athletes at a regional or national level | 707 (77.4%) | 146 (65.5%) | <0.001 |
| Training years | 8.0 (5.0/11.0) | 11.0 (6.0/15.0) | <0.001 |
| Cardiovascular risk factors | |||
| Nicotine abuse | 20 (2.2%) | 14 (6.3%) | 0.003 |
| Obesity | 8 (0.9%) | 6 (2.7%) | 0.039 |
| Blood pressure values | |||
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 115.0 (110.0/120.0) | 120.0 (115.0/130.0) | <0.001 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 70.0 (60.0/75.0) | 70.0 (70.0/80.0) | <0.001 |
| Maximum systolic blood pressure during exercise (mmHg) | 180.0 (160.0/190.0) | 220.0 (210.0/230.0) | <0.001 |
| Maximum diastolic blood pressure during exercise (mmHg) | 70.0 (70.0/80.0) | 80.0 (70.0/85.0) | <0.001 |
| Exercise parameters | |||
| VO2 maximum during exercise | 45.5 (39.9/50.5) | 44.0 (37.2/49.5) | 0.031 |
| Respiratory exchange ratio (RER) |
1.15 (1.10/1.20) | 1.15 (1.11/1.21) | 0.864 |
| Maximum lactate value | 9.46 (7.79/11.2) | 9.21 (7.61/11.24) | 0.861 |
| Echocardiographic parameters | |||
| Left ventricular hypertrophy | 151 (16.5%) | 82 (36.8%) | <0.001 |
| Left ventricular mass | 158.8 (128.0/200.4) | 194.2 (164.1/220.8) | <0.001 |
| Aortic valve regurgitation | 48 (5.3%) | 26 (11.7%) | 0.001 |
| Mitral valve regurgitation | 474 (51.9%) | 153 (68.6%) | <0.001 |
| Tricuspid valve regurgitation | 115 (12.6%) | 43 (19.3%) | 0.027 |
| Pulmonary valve regurgitation | 91 (10.0%) | 17 (7.6%) | 0.311 |
| Heart volume in total (mL) | 760.5 (625.8/906.3) | 910.3 (770.2/1004.5) | <0.001 |
| Heart volume related to body weight (mL/kg) | 11.4 (10.2/12.4) | 11.7 (10.6/12.8) | 0.003 |
| Left ventricular ejection fraction (%) | 65.0 (62.0/69.0) | 66.0 (62.0/69.0) | 0.140 |
| Left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (cm) | 49.0 (45.0/53.0) | 51.0 (48.0/54.0) | <0.001 |
| Left atrial area (cm2) | 13.5 (11.1/15.4) | 15.2 (12.9/17.6) | <0.001 |
| Right atrial area (cm2) | 13.2 (11.0/15.5) | 15.1 (13.3/17.7) | <0.001 |
| Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE, cm) | 2.46 (2.20/2.70) | 2.6 (2.3/2.9) | <0.001 |
| Systolic pulmonary artery pulmonary pressure (mmHg) | 20.0 (17.0/23.0) | 20.3 (17.0/23.6) | 0.274 |
| E/A quotient | 2.7 (1.9/3.7) | 2.6 (1.8/3.6) | 0.215 |
| E/E’ quotient | 4.7 (4.0/5.7) | 4.8 (4.0/5.7) | 0.606 |