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Echocardiographic evaluation of aged male cross country skiers
Author(s) -
Grimsmo J.,
Grundvold I.,
Mæhlum S.,
Arnesen H.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of medicine and science in sports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.575
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1600-0838
pISSN - 0905-7188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2009.01054.x
Subject(s) - age groups , medicine , age limit , diastolic function , diastole , cardiology , demography , blood pressure , sociology
The aim of this echocardiographic study was to evaluate the effects of long‐term endurance training on cardiac structure and function in three different age groups of 48 healthy middle‐aged and old former or still active male cross country skiers (23 in age group I: age 58.6 ± 2.2 years; 21 in age group II: age 74.9 ± 2.2 years; four in age group III: age 89.5 ± 1.9 years). The two oldest age groups were combined and compared with age group I. No significant differences in left atrial or ventricular dimensions between these two age groups were found. A high proportion of enlarged left atrial dimensions were found among all subjects with 80% exceeding the upper reference limit of 40 mm in diameter (LADs) and 94% exceeding the upper reference limit of 20 cm 2 in area (LAAs). Mean values for LADs (mm) and LAAs (cm 2 ) were: group I: 41.9 ± 4.7 and 24.7 ± 3.3; group II: 43.5 ± 4.8 and 25.2 ± 3.7; group III: 44.5 ± 4.7 and 25.8 ± 3.7. Left ventricular diastolic diameter exceeded the upper reference limits of >54 mm in 20 subjects among all. The groups had preserved systolic and age‐related diastolic function.