Table 3.
Patient characteristics of the 1137 examined athletes without known arterial hypertension stratified for exaggerated blood pressure response according to ACSM guideline.
| Parameters | Normal Blood Pressure Response According to ACSM Classification (n = 1060; 93.2%) | Exaggerated Blood Pressure Response According to ACSM Classification (n = 77; 6.8%) | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (in years) | 18.0 (15.0/23.0) | 29.0 (19.5/48.5) | <0.001 |
| Female sex | 384 (36.2%) | 11 (14.3%) | <0.001 |
| Body height (cm) | 175.0 (167.0/182.0) | 181.0 (175.3/186.5) | <0.001 |
| Body weight (kg) | 68.4 (58.8/78.5) | 80.3 (75.0/87.9) | <0.001 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 22.2 (20.4/24.2) | 24.4 (23.0/26.3) | <0.001 |
| Body fat (%) | 11.3 (8.6/16.7) | 11.5 (9.2/14.0) | 0.884 |
| Leading athletes at a regional or national level | 817 (77.1%) | 36 (46.8%) | <0.001 |
| Training years | 8.0 (5.0/11.0) | 13.0 (8.5/18.8) | <0.001 |
| Cardiovascular risk factors | |||
| Nicotine abuse | 27 (2.5%) | 7 (9.1%) | 0.006 |
| Obesity | 10 (0.9%) | 4 (5.2%) | 0.012 |
| Blood pressure values | |||
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 115.0 (110.0/120.0) | 125.0 (120.0/135.0) | <0.001 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 70.0 (60.0/75.0) | 80.0 (70.0/80.0) | <0.001 |
| Maximum systolic blood pressure during exercise (mmHg) | 180.0 (160.0/200.0) | 230.0 (230.0/240.0) | <0.001 |
| Maximum diastolic blood pressure during exercise (mmHg) | 75.0 (70.0/80.0) | 80.0 (80.0/90.0) | <0.001 |
| Exercise parameters | |||
| VO2 maximum during exercise | 45.4 (39.8/50.4) | 43.2 (35.8/49.5) | 0.040 |
| Respiratory exchange ratio (RER) |
1.15 (1.11/1.20) | 1.15 (1.11/1.21) | 0.515 |
| Maximum lactate value | 9.40 (7.75/11.21) | 9.41 (7.85/11.16) | 0.974 |
| Echocardiographic parameters | |||
| Left ventricular hypertrophy | 203 (19.2%) | 30 (39.0%) | <0.001 |
| Left ventricular mass | 164.3 (132.8/200.8) | 207.1 (181.4/227.7) | <0.001 |
| Aortic valve regurgitation | 60 (5.7%) | 14 (18.2%) | <0.001 |
| Mitral valve regurgitation | 571 (53.9%) | 56 (72.7%) | 0.001 |
| Tricuspid valve regurgitation | 141 (13.3%) | 17 (22.1%) | 0.090 |
| Pulmonary valve regurgitation | 101 (9.5%) | 7 (9.1%) | 1.000 |
| Heart volume in total (mL) | 774.6 (642.5/919.0) | 965.4 (829.4/1047.0) | <0.001 |
| Heart volume related to body weight (mL/kg) | 11.5 (10.3/12.5) | 11.7 (10.4/12.6) | 0.350 |
| Left ventricular ejection fraction (%) | 65.0 (62.0/69.0) | 66.0 (62.0/72.0) | 0.037 |
| Left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (cm) | 49.0 (46.0/53.0) | 52.0 (49.5/54.5) | <0.001 |
| Left atrial area (cm2) | 13.6 (11.4/15.7) | 15.7 (14.4/18.2) | <0.001 |
| Right atrial area (cm2) | 13.5 (11.2/15.8) | 16.5 (14.0/18.5) | <0.001 |
| Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE, cm) | 2.50 (2.20/2.80) | 2.6 (2.3/2.9) | 0.001 |
| Systolic pulmonary artery pulmonary pressure (mmHg) | 20.0 (17.0/23.0) | 22.0 (20.0/25.0) | <0.001 |
| E/A quotient | 2.7 (1.9/3.7) | 2.1 (1.5/3.2) | <0.001 |
| E/E’ quotient | 4.7 (4.0/5.7) | 5.1 (4.1/6.4) | 0.080 |