Circulating Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) Is Associated With Left Atrial Remodeling in Long-Distance Runners

Introduction: An increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) has been demonstrated in high-performance athletes. Soluble vascular adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), a biomarker involved in inflammation and cardiac remodeling, is associated with the development of AF in the general population. However, the relationship between sVCAM-1 and left atrial (LA) remodeling has been poorly investigated in long-distance runners (LDR). Aim: To determine the association between LA remodeling and sVCAM-1 levels in LDR during the training period before a marathon race. Methods: Thirty-six healthy male LDR (37.0 ± 5.3 years; 174.0 ± 7.0 height; BMI: 23.8 ± 2.8; V°O 2 -peak: 56.5 ± 7.3 mL·kg −1 ·min −1 ) were evaluated in this single-blind and cross-sectional study. The LDR were separated into two groups according to previous training levels: high-training (HT) ( n = 18) ≥100 km·week −1 and low-training (LT) ( n = 18) ≥70 and