Former NFL players were five times more likely to have a heart rhythm disorder than the general public
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Professional football players have an elevated risk of heart rhythm disorders later in life, according to a research study led by a Cleveland Clinic cardiologist.
A cardiovascular screening of 460 former National Football League (NFL) players found they were more than five times as likely to have a heart rhythm disorder, such as atrial fibrillation (AFib), compared with a sample of 925 people from the general public with similar demographics to the NFL cohort in terms of age and race.
According to the study’s lead investigator, Dermot Phelan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the sports cardiology center at Cleveland Clinic, the findings revealed for the first time an association between athletes in a strength-based sport and increased rates of AFib. Previous studies had found such a relationship among endurance athletes, such as long-distance runners.
RELATED: Cleveland Clinic Research finds Former NFL Players Have Abnormally Large Aortas
“Sporting activity increases longevity and has multiple benefits for the cardiovascular system,” said Dr. Phelan. “But our findings seem to suggest that perhaps when you get to the extreme ends that we see in these elite athletes, there may be a negative impact on the heart.”
Dr. Phelan recently presented the study findings at the American College of Cardiology’s 67th Annual Scientific Session.
In a previous Cleveland Clinic study of retired NFL players authored by Dr. Phelan, results surprisingly revealed that those tested had larger aortas than the average person. The aorta is the main blood vessel carrying blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
That study — published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging — showed NFL players had a two-fold risk of having an enlarged aorta, when compared to the non-athletes. Interestingly, the NFL group had lower levels of hypertension, cholesterol and smoking than might be expected, as high levels are all typically risk factors for an enlarged aorta.
Typically, an enlarged aorta is a risk factor for developing a tear in the vessel wall, which can be life threatening – but more research is needed to know if the same is true for elite athletes.
Noted Dr. Phelan: “Players should not assume that leading a healthy lifestyle in terms of regular exercise means that they’re immune from developing cardiac problems and, in fact, they may be at higher risk for things like atrial fibrillation.” He added that more research is needed to determine how these results relate to outcomes seen in other groups of athletes.
Dr. Phelan also emphasized the need for football players of all ages to get regular medical checkups to identify any early signs of cardiovascular disease.
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. Cleveland Clinic is consistently recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 81,000 employees worldwide are more than 5,743 salaried physicians and researchers, and 20,160 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,690-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 23 hospitals, 276 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2023, there were 13.7 million outpatient encounters, 323,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 301,000 surgeries and procedures throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 132 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/CleClinicNews. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.
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