Do Super Athletes Get Clogged Arteries?
Coronary atherosclerotic burden in veteran athletes: The relationship between cardiovascular risk and volume of exercise.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
High exercise volume increased plaque risk only in those with high cardiovascular risk, but decreased it in those with low-moderate risk.
Common belief: more exercise = always better heart health. This shows the opposite can be true depending on risk profile.
Practical Takeaways
Athletes over 40 should get a coronary CT scan if they have high CV risk factors (e.g., high cholesterol, hypertension, family history), even if asymptomatic.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
High exercise volume increased plaque risk only in those with high cardiovascular risk, but decreased it in those with low-moderate risk.
Common belief: more exercise = always better heart health. This shows the opposite can be true depending on risk profile.
Practical Takeaways
Athletes over 40 should get a coronary CT scan if they have high CV risk factors (e.g., high cholesterol, hypertension, family history), even if asymptomatic.
Publication
Journal
Revista portuguesa de cardiologia : orgao oficial da Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia = Portuguese journal of cardiology : an official journal of the Portuguese Society of Cardiology
Year
2024
Authors
J. Pereira, R. Santos, F. Costa, J. Monge, P. de Araújo Gonçalves, H. Dores
Related Content
Claims (4)
High-intensity endurance exercise, when accumulated over long durations, is associated with a significantly increased prevalence of coronary artery plaque, an association not detected using self-reported exercise metrics.
About 1 in 4 older male athletes who train regularly have significant plaque buildup in their heart arteries, even if they feel fine and have no symptoms.
Older male athletes who have high heart disease risk and train a lot are much more likely to have serious plaque buildup in their heart arteries than those who train just as much but have lower heart risk.
For older male athletes who are otherwise low-risk for heart disease, doing a lot of exercise may help reduce plaque buildup in their heart arteries.