Description:
<jats:sec><jats:title>Objectives</jats:title><jats:p>The objective of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and potential impact of elevated pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">PASP</jats:styled-content>) on left and right cardiac morphology and function in young elite athletes.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>In total, 85 professional athletes (40 endurance, 20 strength, and 25 mixed training, mean age 17.8 ± 4.0) and 50 sedentary controls (mean age 18.6 ± 3.3) underwent transthoracic echocardiographic examination. Two‐dimensional measurements of the right (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">RV</jats:styled-content>) and left ventricle (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">LV</jats:styled-content>) were obtained. <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">PASP</jats:styled-content> was estimated from the peak tricuspid regurgitant velocity (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">TRV</jats:styled-content>). Speckle tracking‐derived longitudinal <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">LV</jats:styled-content> and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">RV</jats:styled-content> strain measurements (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">RV</jats:styled-content>_<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">LS</jats:styled-content>) were calculated for function estimation.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>Maximum <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">TRV</jats:styled-content> (2.2 ± 0.3 vs 2.0 ± 0.2 m/s, <jats:italic>P</jats:italic> < .01) and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">PASP</jats:styled-content> (26 ± 5 vs 22 ± 5 mm Hg, <jats:italic>P</jats:italic> < .01) were higher in athletes compared to controls. <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">PAPS</jats:styled-content> above 30 mm Hg (35 ± 3 mm Hg, range 31–40 mm Hg) was identified in 11 athletes (12.9%). Athletes with elevated <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">PASP</jats:styled-content> demonstrated higher <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">LV</jats:styled-content> mass (<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> < .01), <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">LV</jats:styled-content> stroke volume indexed (<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> < .01), larger <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">RV</jats:styled-content>‐end‐systolic area (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ESA</jats:styled-content>i), <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">RV</jats:styled-content>‐end‐diastolic area (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">EDA</jats:styled-content>i), right atrium <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ES</jats:styled-content> volume and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ED</jats:styled-content> volume, and decreased <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">RV</jats:styled-content> fractional area change (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">FAC</jats:styled-content>) (<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> < .01) when compared to matched controls and higher <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">RV</jats:styled-content>‐<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">EDA</jats:styled-content>i (13.0 ± 1.6 vs 11.1 ± 1.5, <jats:italic>P</jats:italic> < .01), <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">RV</jats:styled-content>‐<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ESA</jats:styled-content>i (8.2 ± 1.5 vs 6.1 ± 0.9, <jats:italic>P</jats:italic> < .01), and significantly reduced <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">RV FAC</jats:styled-content> (38.1 ± 5.8 vs 44.6 ± 2.5, <jats:italic>P</jats:italic> < .01) when compared to matched athletes. <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">LV</jats:styled-content> global longitudinal strain and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">RV</jats:styled-content>_<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">LS</jats:styled-content> showed no differences between the groups.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>Pulmonary arterial systolic pressure elevation in young athletes is associated with pronounced right ventricular enlargement, even when compared to matched athletes. Conventional and speckle tracking echocardiography showed preserved right ventricular function.</jats:p></jats:sec>