Effect of Sport Activity on Uncomplicated Bicuspid Aortic Valve: Long-Term Longitudinal Echocardiographic Study.

Background: The bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is a congenital heart defect that can lead to certain complications (aortic stenosis, regurgitation, dilatation and endocarditis), the diagnosis and clinical monitoring of which are effectively entrusted to transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). The impact of training on the natural history of the disease remains unclear.

Methods: A retrospective cohort of athletes with uncomplicated BAV aged 18-50 years, who underwent at least 2 TTEs with a minimum follow-up of 5 years, subdivided according to the level of physical activity during follow-up into ''untrained'' and ''trained'', was collected.