Longevity and cardiovascular mortality among former college athletes.

SUMMARY Among 681 former Harvard College athletes (lettermen), longevity and cardiovas-cular mortality differed not by type of sport but by extent of participation. Relative to one-letter and two-letter athletes, men with three or more letters died slightly earlier from natural causes, and significantly more often and slightly earlier from cardiovascular diseases and (specifically) coronary heart disease. The three-or-more-letter athletes differed in physique, being significantly more mesomorphic (muscular, bony) than the other two groups. Further analysis suggested that physique did not account for these differences; other possible explanations were discussed. Coronary artery disease Exercise DO CERTAIN kinds of sport in college conduce to shorter lives, while others lengthen the life span? Perhaps the extent of participation-number of years and number of sports-is more crucial? Or is the type of participant, particularly in terms of physique, more important? The data relevant to these questions are limited. Apparently, there is only Rook's1 study of Cambridge University sports-men which considered longevity and cardio-vascular mortality by type of sport. In addition to type of sport the present study considers extent of participation, as measured by the number of athletic awards won. Such data may help to explain the slightly reduced longevity of lettermen, relative to their less athletic classmates, reported in several cohort studies. Epidemiology Somatotype study relates to the question of whether extensive physical training (such as athletics) has long-term effects on cardiovascular and general health. As Pyoriila et al.6 have observed: "It is not known whether the cardiovascular changes caused by endurance athletics are wholly reversible [or] ... whether taking part in endurance athletics modifies the course of cardiovascular disease in later life."' Methods The present subjects are part of a larger series of 8753 men, 6601 measured anthropometrically,5 and 2152 measured and photographed for somatotype rating,4 while at Harvard College between 1880 and about 1912 by D. A. Sargent and two assistants.