Table 2.
Patient characteristics of the 1137 examined athletes without known arterial hypertension stratified for exaggerated blood pressure response according to ESC guideline.
| Parameters | Normal Blood Pressure Response According to ESC Classification (n = 966; 85.0%) | Exaggerated Blood Pressure Response According to ESC Classification (n = 171; 15.0%) | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (in years) | 17.0 (15.0/22.0) | 26.0 (18.0/42.0) | <0.001 |
| Female sex | 329 (34.1%) | 66 (38.6%) | 0.251 |
| Body height (cm) | 175.0 (167.0/182.0) | 179.0 (171.0/184.0) | <0.001 |
| Body weight (kg) | 68.2 (58.3/78.5) | 75.8 (66.4/84.0) | <0.001 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 22.1 (20.2/24.2) | 23.7 (22.3/25.5) | <0.001 |
| Body fat (%) | 11.0 (8.5/16.0) | 13.0 (9.5/17.2) | <0.001 |
| Leading athletes at a regional or national level | 754 (78.1%) | 99 (57.9%) | <0.001 |
| Training years | 8.0 (5.0/11.0) | 11.0 (7.0/16.0) | <0.001 |
| Cardiovascular risk factors | |||
| Nicotine abuse | 19 (2.0%) | 15 (8.8%) | <0.001 |
| Obesity | 8 (0.8%) | 6 (3.5%) | 0.011 |
| Blood pressure values | |||
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 115.0 (110.0/120.0) | 120.0 (110.0/130.0) | <0.001 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 70.0 (60.0/75.0) | 75.0 (70.0/80.0) | <0.001 |
| Maximum systolic blood pressure during exercise (mmHg) | 180.0 (160.0/195.0) | 220.0 (210.0/230.0) | <0.001 |
| Maximum diastolic blood pressure during exercise (mmHg) | 70.0 (70.0/80.0) | 85.0 (80.0/90.0) | <0.001 |
| Exercise parameters | |||
| VO2 maximum during exercise | 45.6 (40.1/50.6) | 42.0 (35.1/49.1) | <0.001 |
| Respiratory exchange ratio (RER) |
1.15 (1.10/1.20) | 1.15 (1.11/1.21) | 0.497 |
| Maximum lactate value | 9.42 (7.71/11.2) | 9.28 (7.96/11.07) | 0.933 |
| Echocardiographic parameters | |||
| Left ventricular hypertrophy | 177 (18.3%) | 56 (32.7%) | <0.001 |
| Left ventricular mass | 164.3 (132.6/200.8) | 188.0 (153.2/219.7) | <0.001 |
| Aortic valve regurgitation | 50 (5.2%) | 24 (14.0%) | <0.001 |
| Mitral valve regurgitation | 506 (52.4%) | 121 (70.8%) | <0.001 |
| Tricuspid valve regurgitation | 123 (12.7%) | 35 (20.5%) | 0.022 |
| Pulmonary valve regurgitation | 94 (9.7%) | 14 (8.2%) | 0.526 |
| Heart volume in total (mL) | 774.4 (634.6/919.0) | 883.0 (728.4/982.6) | <0.001 |
| Heart volume related to body weight (mL/kg) | 11.5 (10.3/12.5) | 11.5 (10.3/12.5) | 0.790 |
| Left ventricular ejection fraction (%) | 65.0 (62.0/68.0) | 66.0 (63.0/69.0) | 0.012 |
| Left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (cm) | 50.0 (46.0/53.0) | 51.0 (47.0/54.0) | 0.004 |
| Left atrial area (cm2) | 13.6 (11.3/15.6) | 15.0 (12.6/15.6) | <0.001 |
| Right atrial area (cm2) | 13.4 (11.1/15.7) | 15.0 (12.9/17.7) | <0.001 |
| Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE, cm) | 2.50 (2.20/2.80) | 2.6 (2.4/2.9) | <0.001 |
| Systolic pulmonary artery pulmonary pressure (mmHg) | 20.0 (17.0/23.0) | 21.0 (18.0/24.1) | 0.018 |
| E/A quotient | 2.7 (2.0/3.7) | 2.2 (1.6/3.3) | <0.001 |
| E/E’ quotient | 4.7 (4.0/5.7) | 4.9 (4.1/6.0) | 0.167 |