Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Cardiovascular Correlates in College Football Players

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Jonathan Kim, Emory University; Casey Hollowed, Emory University; Morgan Irwin-Weyant, Emory University; Keyur Patel, Emory University; Kareem Hosny, Emory University; Hiroshi Aida, Emory University; Zaina Gowani, Emory University; Salman Sher, Emory University; Patrick Gleason, Emory University; James L. Shoop, Georgia Institute of Technology; Angelo Galante, Emory University; Craig Clark, Furman University; Yi-An Ko, Emory University; Arshed Quyyumi, Emory University; Nancy Collop, Emory University; Aaron L. Baggish, Massachusetts General Hospital
• Language: English
• Date: 2017-10-15
• Publisher: Elsevier: 12 months
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2017 Elsevier Inc.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2017.07.030
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: American Journal of Cardiology
• ISSN: 0002-9149
• Volume: 120
• Issue: 8
• Start Page: 1410
• End Page: 1415
• Grant/Funding Information: This study was funded by U.S. National Institutes of Health/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute research grant K23 HL128795 (J.H.K).
• Keywords: Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems; Cardiovascular System & Cardiology; Science & Technology; ARTERIAL STIFFNESS; ADULTS; RECOMMENDATIONS; APNEA; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; HYPERTENSION; PREVALENCE; PORTABLE DEVICE; PARTICIPATION; ASSOCIATION; LEAGUE
• Research Categories: Biology, Biostatistics; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery

Abstract

This study sought to determine the cardiovascular physiologic correlates of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in American-style football (ASF) participants using echocardiography, vascular applanation tonometry, and peripheral arterial tonometry. Forty collegiate ASF participants were analyzed at pre- and postseason time points with echocardiography and vascular applanation tonometry. WatchPAT (inclusive of peripheral arterial tonometry) used to assess for SDB was then performed at the postseason time point. Twenty-two of 40 (55%) ASF participants demonstrated SDB with an apnea-hypopnea index (pAHI) ≥5. ASF participants with SDB were larger (109 ± 20 vs 92 ± 14 kg, p = 0.004) and more likely linemen position players (83% vs 50%, p = 0.03). Compared with those without SDB, ASF participants with SDB demonstrated relative impairments in left ventricular diastolic and vascular function as reflected by lower lateral e′ (14 ± 3 vs 17 ± 3 cm/s, p = 0.007) and septal e′ (11 ± 2 vs 13 ± 2 cm/s, p = 0.009) tissue velocities and higher pulse wave velocity (5.4 ± 0.9 vs 4.8 ± 0.5 m/s, p = 0.02). In the total cohort, there were significant positive correlations between pAHI and pulse wave velocity (r = 0.42, p = 0.008) and inverse correlations between pAHI and the averaged e′ tissue velocities (r = −0.42, p = 0.01). In conclusion, SDB is highly prevalent in youthful collegiate ASF participants and associated with relative impairments in cardiac and vascular function. Targeted efforts to identify youthful populations with SDB, including ASF participants, and implement SDB treatment algorithms, represent important future clinical directives.