Cardiovascular Health of Retired Field-Based Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background: Retirement from elite sport participation is associated with decreased physical activity, depression, obesity, and ischemic heart disease. Although engagement in physical activity through sport is recognized as cardioprotective, an estimated one-quarter of deaths in American football players are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), predominately in players classified as obese. Purpose: To systematically investigate the...