Lifestyle habits and structural heart abnormalities among former athletes and their families: HUDDLE subanalysis

Michael K. Amponsah, Banner Boswell Medical Center, Cardiac Solutions, Sun City, Arizona.
Alexis K. Okoh, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
Shannon Cheffet-Walsh, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California.
Mehul Patel, Sutherland Cardiology Clinic, Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare, Germantown, Tennessee.
David Carfagno, Medical Fitness Honor Health, Scottsdale, Arizona.
Druenell Linton, Piedmont Heart Institute, Conyers, Georgia.
Robert Dimeff, Texas Orthopedic Associates, Dallas, Texas.
David Braunreiter, Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, Sugarland, Texas.
Phillips Harrington, St. Joseph's Hospital, BayCare Health System, Tampa, Florida.
Fred H. Brennan, Turley Family Health Center, University of South Florida, BayCare Health System, Clearwater, Florida.
Clifford Kavinsky, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts.
Marlon Everett, Advocate Health - MidwestFollow
Brandon Park, Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, California.
Marissa Gunnarsson, Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, California.
Sean Snowden, Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, California.
Lidia Mootz, Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, California.
Tenley Koepnick, Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, California.
Jaime Wheeler, Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, California.
Sarah E. Clarke, Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, California.
Heather Prince, Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, California.
Anna Sannino, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, Dallas, Texas.
Paul Grayburn, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, Dallas, Texas.
E Lee Rice, San Diego Sports Medicine & Family Health Center, Lifewellness Institute, San Diego, California.

Affiliations

Advocate Heart Institute

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally. Understanding the association between lifestyle habits, risk factors, and structural heart abnormalities is crucial for developing preventive strategies, especially among understudied populations. METHODS: The HUDDLE trial was a cross-sectional study of National Football League alumni and their family members aged ≥50 years who self-reported health histories and underwent noninvasive cardiovascular disease screening, including transthoracic echocardiography. Cardiovascular disease risk factors were evaluated using a modified American Heart Association Life's Simple 7 (physical activity, tobacco use, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, alcohol intake, and hyperlipidemia) and assessed as ideal, intermediate, or poor. RESULTS: Of 498 participants, 92.4% had at least 1 poor health metric, with 15.9% having ≥3. Former National Football League players aged < 65 years had a higher prevalence of ≥3 poor metrics compared with other participants. Non-White former National Football League players exhibited nearly double the prevalence of having 3 or more poor health metrics as their White counterparts (23.9% vs 12.0%). Compared with those with no poor metrics, participants with 3-7 poor metrics had the highest odds of having structural heart abnormality (OR=2.40; 95% CI=1.08, 5.32), followed by those with 2 (OR=2.39; 95% CI=1.16, 4.92) and 1 (OR=1.79; 95% CI=0.87, 3.66) poor metric. CONCLUSIONS: This subanalysis of the HUDDLE study identified a high prevalence of poor health metrics among former National Football League players and their families. Younger, non-White participants were more likely to have worse lifestyle habits than their counterparts. Increasing number of poor health metrics was associated with structural heart abnormalities.

Document Type

Article

PubMed ID

41624228

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