Comprehensive Evaluation of Cardiac, Endocrine, and Genetic Factors in Young Basketball Athletes

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The study evaluated 55 youth basketball players to investigate phenotypic, endocrine, cardiac, and genetic characteristics related to tall stature.
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Echocardiographic abnormalities were found in 7% of athletes, while 9% showed findings resembling physiological adaptations to physical activity.
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Clinically relevant dysmorphic features were identified in 47% of participants, with mild dysmorphia present in 38%.
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One athlete was diagnosed with a monogenic cause of tall stature, carrying a pathogenic variant in the FBN1 gene linked to Marfan syndrome.
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The study suggests that targeted evaluations, including echocardiography and genetic testing, should be considered for selected athletes.

Frontiers In Endocrinology

by Katerina Gregorova, Lukas Plachy, Vaclav Chaloupecky, Olena Iurchenko, Klara Maliska Maratova, Aneta Kodytkova, Martin Matoulek, Jan Lebl, Viktor Tomek, Zdenek Sumnik, Petra Dusatkova, Stepanka Pruhova
July 20, 2026

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