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Faith S Luyster,1 Reginald E Dunn,2 Diane S Lauderdale,3 Mercedes R Carnethon,4 Andrew M Tucker,5 Robert A Vogel,6 Andrew E Lincoln,2 Kristen L Knutson,7 Elliot J Pellman,8–10 Patrick J Strollo Jr11 1School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 2Sports Medicine Research Center, MedStar Health Research Institute, Baltimore, MD, 3Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, 4Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 5MedStar Sports Medicine, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, MD, 6Cardiology Section, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Denver, CO, 7Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 8ProHealth Care Associates, Lake Success, 9Department of Medicine, 10Department of Orthopedics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, 11Department of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA Purpose: Limited data from former National Football League (NFL) players suggest that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may be highly prevalent after retirement. It remains unclear whether the high prevalence of OSA in retired players is comparable to nonathletes. This retrospective analysis compared sleep apnea (SA) risk in retired NFL players to a community cohort (CARDIA Sleep study), and examined associations between SA risk and cardiovascular risk factors, including subclinical atherosclerosis.Materials and methods: Retired NFL players (n=122) were matched to CARDIA Sleep participants by age ±2 years (range 37–55 years), body mass index ±2 kg/m2, race, and male sex. Participants underwent electron-beam computed tomography to measure coronary artery calcium (CAC) and completed the Berlin Questionnaire to determine SA risk. The presence of CAC was defined as an Agatston score >0.Results: Retired NFL players had a greater prevalence of high SA risk than the matched CARDIA Sleep participants (27% vs 11.5%, P=0.002). Compared to the CARDIA Sleep participants, retired players were less likely to smoke, and had higher blood pressure, lower fasting glucose levels, and higher cholesterol levels. However, there was no difference in the prevalence of detectable CAC (30% vs 30%, P=1). In both players and the community cohort, SA risk was not significantly associated with CAC after controlling for age, race, and body mass index.Conclusion: Retired NFL players have a greater prevalence of high SA risk but similar prevalence of CAC compared with a well-matched community cohort.Keywords: sleep apnea, cardiovascular risk, coronary artery calcium, national football league

SummaryA polysaccharide preparation derived from autoclaved cells of Candida albicans or saline washings of unheated cells has been shown by quantitative immunogolic methods to contain a common antigen shared with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and a type-specific Candida polysaccharide antigen. Antiserum obtained from rabbits immunized with heat-killed Candida albicans or Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains considerably more antibody reacting to the common antigen than to the type-specific antigen.

The objective of this Executive Summary is to provide a synopsis of the research findings presented at the American Heart Association conference “Dietary Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Health—Dietary Recommendations for Fatty Acids: Is There Ample Evidence?” held on June 5–6, 2000, in Reston, Va. The conference was held to summarize the current understanding of the effects of fatty acids on risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer, as well as to identify gaps in our knowledge base that need to be addressed. There is great interest in learning more about the biological effects of the individual fatty acids, their role in chronic disease risk, and their underlying mechanisms of action. As research advances are made, there is always the need to question how new findings may be translated into practice. There is a long history of research providing the basis for the modification of existing dietary guidelines. Research findings have been used to verify intake criteria and are considered along with practical issues of implementation to establish new guidelines. A substantive body of consistent evidence sufficient to defend a dietary recommendation or a change in existing dietary guidance is essential. The conference highlighted the progress that has been made in understanding the biological effects of fatty acids and also addressed the need to learn more about how different fatty acids affect the risk of chronic disease, within the context of refining dietary guidance to further enhance health. As study designs have become increasingly rigorous, a number of megatrends have emerged from the data.1 2 There is increased emphasis on identifying the type of fat that best correlates with disease end points. The classic studies of Keys et al3 and Hegsted et al4 have shown that saturated fatty acids (ie, those with a carbon chain length of C12:0 …