title: Aortic properties and atrial electrophysiology in the young and old football players.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences between P wave dispersion, aortic elastic properties and transthoracic echocardiographic findings in the young and old football players compared to control groups in order to asses the influence of regular sportive activity on aortic distensibility and its potential effect on atrial electrophysiology.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 42 young football players with a training history of many years. The control group was formed by 27 healthy sedentary men. Twenty-three healthy retired football players of a professional football club aged over 50 years were included in the study as old group and 18 subjects over 50 year old who did not perform regular exercise when they were young were included in the control group of old subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The heart rate and ejection fraction were decreased in the young football players. There were no significant differences in the aortic elastic parameters and P wave dispersion between young football players and control group. But in old subjects with sustained participation in regular sportive activity, the significant difference of left ventricular dimension, wall thickness and systolic functions detected in the young group disappeared while increase in the left atrial diameter became significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Potential effect of aortic elastic properties which changes with age, on atrial electrophysiology through increasing P wave dispersion was shown.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Dr. Siyami Ersek Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. hakanhasdemir@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hasdemir
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yildiz
authors.forename: Gokhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Metin
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kasap
authors.forename: Banu Şahin
authors.initials: BŞ
authors.lastname: Yıldız
authors.forename: Barış
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yaylak
authors.forename: Ayşegül
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozyurt
mesh_terms: D000158:Acoustic Impedance Tests / Q000379:methods; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001011:Aorta / Q000502:physiology*; D016279:Atrial Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D004548:Elasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D022062:Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult