Prevention & lipids

Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Factors Among Former National Football League Players

J Am Coll CardiolPublished Cross-sectional study

Authors' conclusion

HUDDLE 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 hypertension, affirming the role of TTE for CVD screening in this population aged older than 50 years.

Study context

Population
Former National Football League (NFL) players aged 50 years and older (NFL Alumni Association)498 screened
Participants
285 players
Outcome
Prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and associated risk factors
Methodological detailsmulticity, Phone follow-up 30 days postscreening to review results and recommendations
  • Multicity
  • Phone follow-up 30 days postscreening to review results and recommendations

Main finding

As reported in the abstract

Estimated prevalence of hypertension

89.8%

Self-reported history of hypertension

37.5%

Structural cardiac abnormalities by TTE (285 evaluable)

61.8%

Observational data: associations, not effects.

Further findings

Predictors of clinically relevant structural abnormalities on TTE

Hypertension a significant predictor (multivariable analysis)

Original publication

Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Factors Among Former National Football League Players. J Am Coll Cardiol. Published 7 April 2024. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2024.03.371

Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →

Get them every week

New studies on this topic in My Week and in your Monday e-mail.

We e-mail you a sign-in link and a code. No password, no spam.