Study Finds Nearly 30 Percent of Retired NFL Players Have Enlarged Aortas

NFL players are nearly 30 percent more likely to significantly larger aortas than the general population, according to results of a study announced Thursday by the Cleveland Clinic.

According to the Cleveland Clinic release, large aortas make people susceptible aortic dissections or aortic ruptures, per Dan Labbe of Cleveland.com. However, players in the study had fewer risk factors than the general population.

"Although their aortas were bigger, they had a lower risk profile," Dr. Dermot Phelan, M.D., Ph.D., the author of the study said in the release. "We need to better understand what happens to these athletes' bodies long-term.

"There isn't anything to suggest that elite athletes are at higher risk of developing an aortic dissection later in life, but until we know more about what this means, we should be cautious and continue to monitor these folks on a regular basis."

The study showed players had "significantly larger ascending aortas and were twice as likely to have larger ascending aortas." Linemen were most likely to have larger aortas.

Doctors theorized repetitive stress endured by players during their career could be the cause. However, the study did not determine a formal cause.