title: Cardiovascular risk factors and coronary atherosclerosis in retired National Football League players.
abstract: A high prevalence of obesity exists in National Football League (NFL) players as determined by body mass index (BMI). It is not established whether increased BMI is associated with a greater prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors or coronary atherosclerosis in former NFL players than in nonathletes. This study compared CV risk factors and coronary atherosclerosis in retired NFL players to 2 groups of community controls, the population-based Dallas Heart Study and the preventive medicine cohort, the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study. Retired NFL players (n = 201) were matched for ethnicity, age, and BMI (Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study, age only). CV risk factors were assessed by survey and screening visit. Coronary atherosclerosis was measured by computed tomography as coronary artery calcium (CAC). Compared to population-based controls, retired NFL players had a significantly lower prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, sedentary lifestyle, and metabolic syndrome, yet a higher prevalence of impaired fasting glucose and hyperlipidemia. However, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of detectable CAC (46% vs 48.3%, p = 0.69) or distribution of CAC (0 to 10, 10 to 100, 100 to 400, > or =400, p = 0.11). Comparing retired NFL players to the physically active preventive medicine controls, there was no difference in the amount of CAC. In retired NFL players, age and hyperlipidemia, not body size, were the most significant predictors of CAC. In conclusion, despite their large body size, retired NFL players do not have a greater prevalence of CV risk factors or amount of CAC than community controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Alice Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Shannon J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: FitzGerald
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cannaday
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: M Dean
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: Gautham P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: Karen G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Ordovas
authors.forename: Arthur E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Stillman
authors.forename: Warren
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Janowitz
authors.forename: Nina B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Radford
authors.forename: Arthur J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Benjamin D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Levine
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D049628:Body Size; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005538:Football / Q000502:physiology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012179:Retirement; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data