Prevention & lipidsCross-sectional study
Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Factors Among Former National Football League Players
- Cross-sectional study
- multicity
Phone follow-up 30 days postscreening to review results and recommendations
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
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
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it