Fanatically exercising middle-aged men are more likely to suffer from coronary artery calcification than their peers who take it a little easier. The MARC-1 study produced this unexpected result. In the follow-up study, Vincent Aengevaeren is investigating the effect of exercise on this over a longer period of time.
The first study examined 318 middle-aged male athletes at the UMC Utrecht. The most active athletes were found to have more frequent arteriosclerosis in the coronary arteries, which are the blood vessels around the heart. “However, the plaque on the inside of the coronary arteries was found to be of a more favorable type.” Says Vincent Aengevaeren who is doing the follow-up study at UMC Utrecht and Radboudumc in Nijmegen. “Plaque can be fatty, calcified, or consist of a mixture of fat and calcium. If the plaque is calcified, the risk of a heart attack is less than with the mixed form. But, of course, no plaque at all is even better. We saw that the most active athletes were more likely to have a calcified plaque.” In addition, participating runners were found to have arterial calcification more often than participating cyclists.
This second study, led by Birgitta Velthuis, professor of radiology at UMC Utrecht, aims to further investigate the effect of exercise on coronary artery calcification. “We know that sports are incredibly healthy. So how is it possible that these active athletes still have coronary artery calcification to this extent? To look at cause and effect, it is much stronger to do a so-called longitudinal study, where you look over time to see how something changes. That’s why we approached all the men from the first study – six years ago – now for the follow-up study. This will include taking a CT scan of them and a heart monitor. We measure blood values and ask about dietary habits and medication use. In this way we hope to find out what role sport plays in the development and worsening of coronary artery calcification, and whether there are other factors that play a role. For example, is it related to stress, or to their diet? After all, active athletes eat a lot and possibly unhealthier food. In addition, we try to find out who is more at risk, so that they can take the necessary measures in time.” Meanwhile, measurements have been taken on more than two hundred men. Vincent says it is too early to draw conclusions from this. At the end of 2020, he hopes to present the results.
Meanwhile, Vincent is certainly not advising people to exercise less. “It is common knowledge that athletes live longer and also live longer without symptoms. The risks of cardiovascular disease for non-athletes are greater. However, the results of the first study do show that the fact that you exercise a lot is no guarantee that you are not at risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, I would advise athletes to live a healthy life. Pay attention to your diet, maintain a healthy weight, monitor your blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar levels and definitely don’t smoke.”
This research was funded by a Dekker grant from the Heart Foundation.