Aortic dilatation is common in older endurance athletes, suggesting the vessel may remodel in response to long-term exercise, a cross-sectional study reveals.

US researchers assessed the prevalence of aortic dilatation among 442 elite rowers and runners (mean age 61, 60% men, 52% rowers) who were enrolled in competitive athletic events across the US in 2018.

As reported in JAMA Cardiology, 21% of all participants (31% of the men; 6% of the women) had clinically relevant aortic dilatation, with the diameter at the sinuses of Valsalva or ascending aorta of 40mm or larger.

Compared with age-, sex- and body-size-adjusted general population nomograms, the distributions of aortic dimensions at both the sinuses of Valsalva and the ascending aorta showed a clear rightward shift (to larger values) among both the male and female athletes.