title: Age-related decline in mitral peak diastolic velocities is unaffected in well-trained runners.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined whether diastolic left ventricular function in young and senior lifelong endurance runners was significantly different from that in sedentary age-matched controls, and whether lifelong endurance running appears to modify the age-related decline in diastolic left ventricular function.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study comprised 17 senior athletes (age: 59-75 years, running distance: 30-70 km/week), 10 young athletes (age: 20-36 years, matched for running distance), and 11 senior and 12 young weight-matched sedentary controls. Peak early (E) and late (A) mitral inflow and early (e') and late (a') diastolic and systolic (s') annular longitudinal tissue Doppler velocities were measured by echocardiography during four stages (rest, supine bike exercise at 30% and 60% of maximal workload, and recovery).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The athletes had marked cardiac remodeling, while overall differences in mitral inflow and annular tissue Doppler velocities during rest and exercise were more associated with age than with training status. The senior participants had lower E/A at rest, overall lower E, e' and s', and greater E/e' compared to the young participants (all values of P < 0.05). The athletes had greater E/A (P = 0.004), but tissue Doppler velocities were not different from those of the controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lifelong endurance running was not found to be associated with major attenuation of the age-related decline in diastolic function at rest or during exercise.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Bispebjerg Hospital, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen , Denmark.
authors.forename: Rasmus Huan
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Couppé
authors.forename: Christian Have
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Dall
authors.forename: Tea
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Monk-Hansen
authors.forename: Ulla Ramer
authors.initials: UR
authors.lastname: Mikkelsen
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karlsen
authors.forename: Nis Baun
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Høst
authors.forename: S Peter
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Magnusson
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Prescott
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001642:Bicycling; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003971:Diastole; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D010807:Physical Endurance; D012420:Running; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: diastole; exercise; left ventricle; running; stress echocardiography; systole; tissue Doppler velocities