Table 1

Characteristics of female athletes and matched reference population comparison cohorts

CharacteristicsFemale athletes* n=228Reference population n=1368P value
Age at the start of follow-up, mean (years) (±SD)32.05 (8.48)32.05 (8.47)0.996
Post-secondary education† (%)46.526.8<0.001
Hyperthyroidism† (%)0.41.70.257
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease† (%)0.91.80.493
Diabetes mellitus† (%)2.24.50.146
Hypertension† (%)5.714.20.001
Valvular heart disease† (%)1.81.00.455
Ischaemic heart disease† (%)0.93.80.039
Congestive heart failure† (%)0.91.70.537
  • *Marathon runners (n=108), 10 000 metres track runners (n=65) and bicyclists n=55.

  • †Proportion at the end of follow-up.