Prevalence of cardiovascular disease and risk factors among National Football League alumni and family members

Authors

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

Recommended Citation

Okoh AK, Amponsah MKD, Cheffet-Walsh S, et al. Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Factors Among Former National Football League Players. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2024;83(19):1827-1837. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2024.03.371

Affiliations

Advocate Heart Institute

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, but prevalence estimates in former professional athletes are limited.

Objective: The HUDDLE trial aimed to raise awareness and estimate the prevalence of CVD and associated risk factors among members of the National Football League (NFL) Alumni Association and their families through education and screening events.

Methods: HUDDLE was a multi-city, cross-sectional study of NFL alumni and family members aged 50 years and above. Subjects reported their health history and participated in CVD education and screening (blood pressure [BP], electrocardiogram [EKG], and transthoracic echocardiogram [TTE] assessments). Phone follow-up by investigators occurred 30-days post-screening to review results and recommendations. This analysis focuses on former NFL athletes.

Results: Of 498 participants screened, 57.2% (N=285) were former NFL players, majority of which were African American (67.6%). The prevalence of hypertension among NFL alumni was estimated to be 89.8%, though only 37.5% reported a history of hypertension. Of 285 evaluable participants 61.8% had structural cardiac abnormalities by TTE. Multivariable analysis showed that HTN was a significant predictor of clinically-relevant structural abnormalities on TTE.

Conclusion: The HUDDLE trial identified a large discrepancy between participant self-awareness and actual prevalence of CVD and risk factors, highlighting a significant opportunity for population health interventions. Structural cardiac abnormalities were observed in most participants and were independently predicted by HTN, affirming the role of TTE for CVD screening in this over 50 population.

Document Type

Article

PubMed ID

38593943