Bicuspid Aortic Valve and Premature Ventricular Beats in Athletes

Gloria Modica, Fabrizio Sollazzo, Massimiliano Bianco (), Michela Cammarano, Riccardo Pella, Riccardo Monti, Vincenzo Palmieri and Paolo Zeppilli
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Gloria Modica: Sports Medicine Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University, 00168 Rome, Italy
Fabrizio Sollazzo: Sports Medicine Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University, 00168 Rome, Italy
Massimiliano Bianco: Sports Medicine Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University, 00168 Rome, Italy
Michela Cammarano: Sports Medicine Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University, 00168 Rome, Italy
Riccardo Pella: Sports Medicine Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University, 00168 Rome, Italy
Riccardo Monti: Sports Medicine Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University, 00168 Rome, Italy
Vincenzo Palmieri: Sports Medicine Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University, 00168 Rome, Italy
Paolo Zeppilli: Sports Medicine Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University, 00168 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 19, 1-9

Abstract: Background: The aim of this study was to identify a possible link between bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and premature ventricular beats (PVBs), particularly from left and right ventricular outflow tracts, and to investigate possible associations between these arrhythmias and echocardiographic abnormalities. Methods: A comparison of sportspeople with and without BAV was performed to identify PVBs’ occurrence in these two series. Then, subdividing the BAV group on the presence of cardiovascular complications due to BAV, we compared arrhythmic features between these two subgroups and echocardiographic findings between athletes with and without left and right outflow tract PVBs. Results: PVBs in 343 athletes with BAV were compared with 309 athletes without BAV, showing an increased frequency (29% vs. 11.8%, p < 0.001; OR 3.1; CI 2.1–4.7) and origin from the left (18.4% vs. 3.2%, p < 0.001, OR 6.7; CI 3.4–13.4) and right (15.2% vs. 3.6%, p < 0.001, OR 4.8; CI 2.5–9.5) outflow tracts compared to other ventricular areas (fascicular PVBs p = 0.81, other morphologies p = 0.58). No difference in PVBs’ occurrence was found between near normal valve BAV and pathological BAV, nor was a difference in echocardiographic characteristics found between patients with and without outflow tract arrhythmias. Conclusions: A possible causal link between BAV and PVBs was highlighted, but no association between PVBs and complicated BAV was emphasized.

Keywords: bicuspid aortic valve; premature ventricular beats; athletes; sport eligibility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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