Relation between playing position and coronary artery calcium scores in retired national football league players

Authors

Sukhdeep Singh Basra, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
Yashashwi Pokharel, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
Ravi S. Hira, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
Salman J. Bandeali, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
Vijay Nambi, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
Anita Deswal, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
Khurram Nasir, Baptist Health South Florida, United States
Seth S. Martin, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, United States
Robert A. Vogel, University of Maryland School of Medicine, United States
Salim S. Virani, Baylor College of Medicine, United StatesFollow

Document Type

Article

Department

Cardiology

Abstract

Retired National Football League (NFL) linemen have an increased prevalence of risk factors for atherosclerosis and have an increased risk of cardiovascular death compared with nonlinemen and the general population. We evaluated whether playing in lineman position is independently associated with an increased risk of the presence and severity of subclinical atherosclerosis. Players were categorized as linemen if they reported playing on the offensive or defensive line during their careers. Subclinical atherosclerosis was assessed using coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores in 931 retired NFL players (310 linemen, 621 nonlinemen). CAC scores were evaluated for absence of subclinical atherosclerosis (CAC = 0), presence of mild subclinical atherosclerosis (CAC 1 to 100), and moderate to severe subclinical atherosclerosis (CAC ≥100). We performed multivariate logistic regression to determine whether the lineman position is independently associated with the presence and severity of subclinical atherosclerosis. Linemen were noted to have a lesser likelihood of absence of subclinical atherosclerosis (CAC = 0, 33.8% vs 41.7%, p = 0.02), a similar likelihood of mild subclinical atherosclerosis (CAC 1 to 100, 33.2% vs 31.8%, p = 0.7), and a greater likelihood of moderate to severe subclinical atherosclerosis (CAC >100, 32.9% vs 26.4%, p = 0.04) compared with nonlinemen. Adjusting for demographic and metabolic covariates, lineman status remained independently associated with mild subclinical atherosclerosis (CAC 1 to 100, odds ratio [OR] 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05 to 2.2, p = 0.04) and moderate to severe subclinical atherosclerosis (CAC ≥100, OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.2). The association was attenuated after adjustment for race (CAC 1 to 100, OR 1.24, 95% CI 0.82 to 1.8; CAC >100, OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.49). In conclusion, lineman status in retired NFL players is associated with presence and severity of subclinical atherosclerosis, which is partly explained by race.

Comments

This work was published before the author joined Aga Khan University.

Publication (Name of Journal)

The American Journal of Cardiology

Recommended Citation

Basra, S. S., Pokharel, Y., Hira, R. S., Bandeali, S. J., Nambi, V., Deswal, A., Nasir, K., Martin, S. S., Vogel, R. A., Virani, S. S. (2014). Relation between playing position and coronary artery calcium scores in retired national football league players. The American Journal of Cardiology, 114(12), 1836-1840.
Available at: https://ecommons.aku.edu/provost_office/209