Frequent constriction-like echocardiographic findings in elite athletes following mild COVID-19: in the grasp of SARS-CoV-2?

Autor: Z Eles, Anna Réka Kiss, Márton Tokodi, Attila Kovács, Emese Csulak, Orsolya Kiss, V Juhasz, Zsófia Gregor, B Merkely, Zsuzsanna Ladányi, Alexandra Fábián, Nóra Sydó, Botond Lakatos, M Horvath, Hajnalka Vágó
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: European Heart Journal
Europe PubMed Central
ISSN: 1522-9645
0195-668X
DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehab724.2715
Popis: The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on the sports community as well. Despite the vast majority of athletes experiencing mild symptoms, potential cardiac involvement and complications have to be explored to support a safe return to play. Accordingly, we were aimed at a comprehensive echocardiographic characterization of post-COVID athletes (P-CA) by comparing them to a propensity-matched healthy, non-COVID athlete (N-CA) cohort. One hundred and seven elite athletes with COVID-19 were prospectively enrolled after an appropriate quarantine period and formed the P-CA group (23±6 years, 23% female). From our retrospective database comprising 425 elite athletes, 107 age-, gender-, body surface area-, and weekly training hours-matched subjects were selected as a reference group using propensity score matching (N-CA group). All athletes underwent a comprehensive clinical investigation protocol comprising 2D and 3D echocardiography. Left (LV) and right ventricular (RV) end-diastolic volumes (EDVi) and ejection fractions (EF) were quantified using dedicated softwares. To characterize LV longitudinal deformation, 2D global longitudinal strain (GLS) and the ratio of free wall versus septal longitudinal strain (FWLS/SLS) were also calculated. In order to describe septal flattening (SF – frequently seen in P-CA), LV eccentricity index (EI) was measured. P-CA and N-CA athletes had comparable LV and RV EDVi (P-CA vs N-CA; 77±12 vs 78±13mL/m2; 79±16 vs 80±14mL/m2, respectively). P-CA group had significantly higher LV EF (58±4 vs 56±4%, p In the SF subgroup, LV EDVi was significantly higher (80±14 vs 75±11 mL/m2, p Elite athletes following COVID-19 showed distinct morphological and functional cardiac changes compared to a propensity score-matched control athlete group. These results are mainly driven by a subgroup, which presented with some echocardiographic features characteristic of constrictive pericarditis (septal flattening, lower FWLS/SLS ratio, pericardial effusion). Follow-up of athletes and further, higher case number studies are warranted to determine the clinical significance and potential effects on exercise capacity of these findings. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None. Post-Covid athlete with SF
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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