Cardiovascular disease in athletes

Metabolic risk factors, blood pressure and atherogenic indices of cardiovascular disease across different quartiles of dietary sodium to potassium ratio among young semi-professional athletes with overweight or obesity

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have revealed the role of the dietary sodium-to-potassium ratio in predicting cardiovascular and total mortality. However, a limited number of studies have investigated the association between the dietary sodium-to-potassium ratio and individual biomarkers of metabolic disease in athletes. In this study, we aimed to compare metabolic, atherogenic, and anthropometric risk factors for cardiovascular disease across different quartiles of the dietary sodium-to-potassium ratio among young semi-professional athletes with overweight or obesity.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 637 young semi-professional athletes, aged 20-40 years, were selected from active athletic and fitness clubs. Anthropometric measurements were performed, and fasting blood sugar, serum lipids, and lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] were measured. Atherogenic indices, including the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), Castelli risk index (CRI)-I, CRI-II, and lipid tetrad index (LTI), were calculated.

RESULTS

Participants in the highest quartile of the dietary sodium-to-potassium ratio were younger and had a higher waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) compared to those in the lowest quartile. Additionally, those in the highest quartile showed significantly higher serum total cholesterol and Lp(a) concentrations after adjusting for confounding factors (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that individuals in the higher quartiles of the dietary sodium-to-potassium ratio exhibit less favorable serum lipid profiles. Further longitudinal and interventional studies are needed to clarify the potential therapeutic role of reducing the dietary sodium-to-potassium ratio in managing cardiovascular disease risk factors.

[Sudden cardiac death in athletes]

The entity of sudden cardiac death in young athletes has been known since the year 490 B.C. when young Greek soldier Phidipides had run the distance from Marathon to Athens and suddenly fell down dead. In the last twenty years, sudden death of famous athletes have attracted huge attention of medical and social community; afterwards both American and European Cardiology Societies started to publish periodically guidelines for preparticipation screening. These guidelines have focused on both identifying athletes with potential cardiovascular risk for sudden death and eligibility conditions for athletes participating in competitive sports. Structural and functional abnormalities causing sudden cardiac death in young athletes have been identified by autopsy-based studies. Unrecognized congenital cardiovascular abnormalities associated with excessive physical effort create background for electrophysiological instability and occurrence of malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmia and consequent death. The most frequent causes of sudden cardiac death in young athletes include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, anomalies of the coronary arteries and idiopathic left ventricular hypertrophy. Current ACC/AHA & ESC guidelines should be widely used in order to reduce potential sudden cardiac death in young athletes.