CLINICAL RESEARCH: CARDIAC ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY
Does sports activity enhance the risk of sudden death in adolescents and young adults?
Domenico Corrado, MD, PhD*,
Cristina Basso, MD, PhD ,
Giulio Rizzoli, MD ,
Maurizio Schiavon, MD and
Gaetano Thiene, MD,*
* Department of Cardiology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
Department of Pathology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
Center for Sports Medicine, Padua, Italy
Manuscript received November 4, 2002;
revised manuscript received March 10, 2003,
accepted March 26, 2003.
* Reprint requests and correspondence: Dr. Gaetano Thiene, Istituto di Anatomia Patologica, Via A. Gabelli, 61-35121 Padova, Italy.
cardpath{at}unipd.it
 |
Abstract
|
|---|
OBJECTIVES: We sought to assess the risk of sudden death (SD) in both male and female athletes age 12 to 35 years.
BACKGROUND: Little is known about the risk of SD in adolescents and young adults engaged in sports.
METHODS: We did a 21-year prospective cohort study of all young people of the Veneto Region of Italy. From 1979 to 1999, the total population of adolescents and young adults averaged 1,386,600 (692,100 males and 694,500 females), of which 112,790 (90,690 males and 22,100 females) were competitive athletes. An analysis by gender of risk of SD and underlying pathologic substrates was performed in the athletic and non-athletic populations.
RESULTS: There were 300 cases of SD, producing an overall cohort incidence rate of 1 in 100,000 persons per year. Fifty-five SDs occurred among athletes (2.3 in 100,000 per year) and 245 among non-athletes (0.9 in 100,000 per year), with an estimated relative risk (RR) of 2.5 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.8 to 3.4; p < 0.0001). The RR of SD among athletes versus non-athletes was 1.95 (CI 1.3 to 2.6; p = 0.0001) for males and 2.00 (CI 0.6 to 4.9; p = 0.15) for females. The higher risk of SD in athletes was strongly related to underlying cardiovascular diseases such as congenital coronary artery anomaly (RR 79, CI 10 to 3,564; p < 0.0001), arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (RR 5.4, CI 2.5 to 11.2; p < 0.0001), and premature coronary artery disease (RR 2.6, CI 1.2 to 5.1; p = 0.008).
CONCLUSIONS: Sports activity in adolescents and young adults was associated with an increased risk of SD, both in males and females. Sports, per se, was not a cause of the enhanced mortality, but it triggered SD in those athletes who were affected by cardiovascular conditions predisposing to life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias during physical exercise.
|
Abbreviations and Acronyms
| | ARVC | = arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | | CAD | = coronary artery disease | | CCA | = congenital coronary artery anomaly | | CI | = confidence interval | | HCM | = hypertrophic cardiomyopathy | | RR | = relative risk | | SD | = sudden death |
|
Little is known about the risk of sudden death (SD) in adolescents and young adults engaged in competitive sports (1,2). We previously reported a "crude" association between competitive athletics and SD in young people ( 35 years old) (2–4). However, major questions arise regarding whether this observation just reflects the different male/ female ratio in athletes and non-athletes, given the higher incidence of SD and the greater sports participation among males. Moreover, the precise risk of SD among athletes and their non-athletic counterpart of the same age range, and the risk of sports-related SD for different underlying diseases, remain to be established. Finally, whether specific sports are associated with an increased risk of SD and whether there is a correlation between the age of victims and underlying etiology are still unclear.
To answer these unsolved questions, we performed an analysis by gender of the risk of SD and the underlying pathologic substrates in the athletic and non-athletic young populations (12 to 35 years old) of the Veneto Region of Italy.
|
Methods
|
|---|
A prospective clinico-pathologic investigation of SD in young people age 35 years or younger has been performed in the Veneto Region of Italy since 1979 (3,4). The present study evaluated the incidence and causes of SD by gender in adolescents and young adults engaged in competitive sports, in comparison with a non-athletic population of the same age range in the time interval 1979 to 1999.
According to the Italian guidelines for sports medicine, young competitive athletes were defined as adolescents and young adults (age 12 to 35 years) who participated in an organized sports program requiring regular training and competition. The athletic population had undergone preparticipation screening by history, physical examination, 12-lead electrocardiogram, and limited exercise testing, as required by Italian law (4,5). "Sudden death" was defined as unexpected death as a result of natural causes in which a loss of all functions occurred instantaneously or within 1 h of the onset of collapse symptoms.
Population.
The Veneto Region of Northeast Italy covers an area of 18,368 km2. From 1979 to 1999, the population was stable and averaged 4,379,900, according to the Italian Census Bureau. The vast majority of residents were white, comprising an ethnically homogeneous population.
During the study period, the entire population age 12 to 35 years averaged 1,386,600, consisting of 692,100 males and 694,500 females. This population for the 21 years of observation provided 29,118,600 age-specific person-years, consisting of 14,534,100 males and 14,584,500 females, respectively. According to the Sports Medicine Data Base of the Veneto Region of Italy, the athletic population averaged 112,790 (90,690 males and 22,100 females), providing 2,368,590 athlete-years of observation (1,904,490 males and 464,100 females).
Morphologic protocol.
The protocol of investigation has been reported in detail elsewhere (2,6). In brief, macroscopic examination included measurement of heart weight and wall thickness, inspection of the coronary arteries and valves, and identification of any myocardial scar or dilation. The origin and course of the coronary arteries were examined, and the patency of the major epicardial coronary trunks was analyzed by taking transverse section at 3-mm intervals. Coronary artery segments and several transmural blocks of ordinary myocardium from the right and left ventricular walls and from the interventricular septum were processed for histologic examination; 7-µm-thick sections were stained with the hematoxylin-eosin, Weigert-van Gieson, and trichrome Heidenhain (azan) techniques. The specialized conduction system was studied by a serial section technique, as previously reported (7). Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) was diagnosed in the presence of gross and/or histologic evidence of regional or diffuse transmural fibrofatty replacement of the right ventricular free wall and in the absence of other known cardiac or non-cardiac causes of death (8).
Statistical analysis.
Continuous data are expressed as the mean ± standard deviation. The chi-square or Fisher exact test was used to assess the significance of differences between subgroups. The relative risk (RR) of SD (the ratio of the risk of SD among competitive athletes to the risk among non-athletes) and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated with the Stata version 5.0 (1997) statistical package (Stata, College Station, Texas). Poisson multivariate regression was used to simultaneously test sports exposure, gender, and the interaction between the two. A two-tailed p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
|
Results
|
|---|
During the period from January 1979 through December 1999, among the Veneto Region residents age 12 to 35 years, there were 300 cases of SD during 29,118,600 person-years of observation, producing an overall cohort incidence rate of 1 in 100,000 persons per year. Clinical characteristics of SD victims, both athletes and non-athletes, are summarized in Table 1.
The total SD rates were 1.5 in 100,000 persons per year in males and 0.5 in 100,000 persons per year in females. Fifty-five SDs occurred among young competitive athletes, and 245 among non-athletes, equivalent to mortality rates of 2.3 and 0.9 in 100,000 per persons per year, respectively. In the athletic population, there were 50 SDs in males and 5 SDs in females, equivalent to mortality rates of 2.6 and 1.1 in 100,000 persons per year, respectively. The mortality rates in non-athletes were 1.3 in males and 0.5 in females per 100,000 persons per year. The estimated RR of total SD among athletes as compared with non-athletes was 2.5 (CI 1.8 to 3.4; p < 0.0001); it was 1.95 for males (CI 1.3 to 2.6; p = 0.0001) and 2.0 (CI 0.6 to 4.9; p = 0.15) for females.
The rates of SD by cardiovascular diseases were 2.1 in 100,000 athletes per year, compared with 0.7 in 100,000 non-athletes per year (RR 2.8, CI 1.9 to 3.7; p < 0.001) (Fig. 1). The estimated RR of cardiovascular SD was 2.0 for male athletes (CI 1.4 to 2.8; p = 0.0001) and 2.6 for female athletes (CI 0.8 to 6.4; p = 0.06).
View larger version (13K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Figure 1 Incidence and relative risk (RR) of sudden death (SD) among athletes (solid columns) and non-athletes (open columns) from cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular causes. Athletes had a 2.8 RR of cardiovascular SD (confidence interval [CI] 1.9 to 3.7; p < 0.001), as compared with a 1.7 RR of non-cardiovascular SD (CI 0.3 to 5.7; p = 0.39).
|
|
By Poisson multivariate regression analysis, the estimated RRs of sports activity for total SD and cardiovascular SD were 1.95 (CI 1.4 to 2.6; p < 0.0001) and 2.1 (CI 1.5 to 2.8; p < 0.0001), respectively; the estimated RR of male gender was 2.5 (CI 1.9 to 3.2; p < 0.0001) and 2.8 (CI 2.1 to 3.7; p < 0.0001), respectively. The interaction between sports involvement and gender, for both total and cardiovascular SD, was not significant.
Table 2 shows the causes of SD by gender and age in competitive athletes and non-athletes. Sudden death due to coronary artery disease (CAD) occurred in the oldest individuals (29.1 ± 5 years), both athletes and non-athletes. Among SD victims from ARVC, athletes were significantly younger than non-athletes (22 ± 4 vs. 27 ± 7 years; p = 0.02). An anomalous origin of a coronary artery from the wrong coronary sinus was associated with the highest risk of sports-related SD (RR 79, CI 10 to 3,564; p < 0.0001), followed by ARVC (RR 5.4, CI 2.5 to 11.2; p < 0.0001) and premature CAD (RR 2.6, CI 1.2 to 5.1; p = 0.008) (Fig. 2).
View larger version (16K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Figure 2 Incidence and relative risk (RR) of sudden death (SD) for specific cardiovascular causes among athletes and non-athletes. ARVC = arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy; CAD = coronary artery disease; CCA = congenital coronary artery anomaly; MVP = mitral valve prolapse.
|
|
The sports with the highest number of SDs was soccer (n = 23), followed by basketball and swimming (n = 5 each), rugby (n = 4), cycling, running, and volleyball (n = 3 each), gymnastics, tennis, skiing, and judo (n = 2 each), and weight lifting (n = 1). Neither a statistically significant higher incidence of SD in soccer players, as compared with athletes participating in all other sports (2.6 vs. 2.14 in 100,000 per year; p = 1.0), nor a significant association between specific sports with specific forms of fatal disease was observed.
|
Discussion
|
|---|
The present study extends our earlier observation of a "crude" association between sports activity and SD in the young (2,4) and shows that adolescents and young adults, both males and females, engaged in competitive sports have an increased risk of SD compared with their non-athletic counterparts. Sports, per se, is not a cause of the increased mortality; rather, it acts as a trigger for cardiac arrest in the presence of underlying cardiovascular diseases predisposing to life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias during physical exercise—namely, ARVC, premature CAD, and congenital coronary artery anomaly (CCA).
Incidence of SD.
In the present study, the incidence of SD by all causes was 2.3 (2.6 in males and 1.1 in females) in 100,000 athletes per year, and that of SD from cardiovascular diseases was 2.1 in 100,000 athletes per year. In previous studies, the assessment of the precise frequency with which SD occurs in young athletes during organized competitive sports was encumbered by a number of limitations, mostly related to retrospective analysis. Such studies probably resulted in an underestimation of the true prevalence of sports-related SD, because they relied on reporting from individual schools and institutions or media accounts. Van Camp et al. (9), in a nationally based survey, estimated the prevalence of SD in high school and college athletes from the U.S. to be 0.4 in 100,000 athletes per year; estimated rates in male athletes (age 13 to 24 years, mean 16.9 ± 2.0) were 0.66 in 100,000 high school athletes per year and 1.45 in 100,000 college athletes per year; and estimated rates in female athletes (age 14 to 22 years, mean 16.2 ± 2.4) were 0.12 in 100,000 high school athletes per year and 0.28 in 100,000 college athletes per year. However, the methodology employed in that study was largely dependent on news media accounts, with the inherent limitations. Maron et al. (10) estimated the prevalence of cardiovascular SD in competitive high school athletes (age range 13 to 19 years, mean = 16) from Minnesota to be 0.35 in 100,000 sports participants and 0.46 in 100,000 individual participants per year (0.77 in 100,000 male athletes). The reasons for the higher mortality rates found in our investigation, compared with those reported by Maron et al. (10), may include: 1) a prospective versus retrospective study design; 2) the broader spectrum and higher mean value of age in our series of athletes (12 to 35 years, mean 23 ± 12); 3) different underlying pathologic substrates, which partly reflect differences in ethnic and genetic factors; and 4) participation at a higher level of intensity among our competitive athletes than among U.S. high school and college participants.
In the present study, the athletic-field SD rate showed a clear gender predilection, with striking male predominance (male/female ratio of 10:1). This predominance of fatal events in male athletes is consistent with the findings of previous surveys of athletic-field deaths (1,2,9–12) and has been explained by the lower number of participating females than males in competitive sports programs. Accordingly, the prevalence of sports participation in the young female population in our study was only 25% of that of the male individuals. However, our results indicate that male gender is in itself a risk factor for sports-related SD. It is noteworthy that males are generally exposed to more intensive training and higher levels of intensity during athletic sports and have a greater prevalence of cardiac diseases at risk of arrhythmic cardiac arrest in the age range of competitive sports than females (2,3,6). Unlike male athletes, the RR of SD between athletes and non-athletes did not reach statistical significance in females, mostly because of the relatively small number of fatal events in females.
Causes of SD.
The present study showed that ARVC and CAD, either congenital or atherosclerotic, were the pathologic substrates associated with the greatest risk of SD in athletes. Previous studies in the U.S. showed a higher prevalence of other pathologic substrates such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), anomalous coronary arteries, and myocarditis (1,9,11,12). This discrepancy may be explained by several factors. There have been no previous studies like the present one that have prospectively investigated a consecutive series of young people with SD occurring in a well-defined geographic area with a homogeneous ethnic group. Moreover, morphologic examination of all hearts was performed by the same team of experienced cardiovascular pathologists according to a standard protocol. The high incidence of ARVC in our series may be due to a genetic factor in the population of the Veneto region of Italy (13,14). However, ARVC is rarely associated with cardiomegaly and usually spares the left ventricle, so that affected hearts may be erroneously diagnosed as normal hearts (3,8,15). In the past, therefore, a number of SDs in young people and athletes, in which the routine pathologic examination disclosed a normal heart, may, in fact, have been due to an unrecognized ARVC. Finally, systematic preparticipation screening of young competitive athletes, which has been in practice in Italy for more than 20 years, has successfully prevented SD from HCM by identification and disqualification of affected athletes (4).
Implications for preparticipation screening.
The present study showed that sports was not in itself the cause of enhanced mortality, but it triggered cardiac arrest in those athletes who were affected by cardiovascular conditions predisposing to life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias during physical exercise. A corollary is that every effort should be made to recognize, by preparticipation screening, such diseases implicated in SD during sports, because disqualification of affected athletes makes the prevention of athletic-field death feasible. We previously reported that HCM was successfully detected at preparticipation evaluation (4). On the contrary, ARVC, premature CAD, and CCA (16), which formed the underlying substrate in most cases of SD in young competitive athletes, in the present study were missed at screening. These results do not dispute the usefulness of systematic evaluation of adolescents and young individuals embarking in sports activity; rather, they indicate those cardiovascular diseases, other than HCM, for which cardiovascular screening has to improve in the future.
|
Footnotes
|
|---|
This study was supported by the Veneto Region, Venice; Ministry of Health, Rome; and European Commission Contract QLG1-CT-2000-01091.
|
References
|
|---|
1. Maron BJ, Roberts WC, McAllister MA, et al. Sudden death in young athletes. Circulation. 1980;62:218–229[Abstract/Free Full Text]
2. Corrado D, Thiene G, Nava A, Pennelli N, Rossi L. Sudden death in young competitive athletes: clinico-pathologic correlations in 22 cases. Am J Med. 1990;89:588–596[CrossRef][Medline]
3. Thiene G, Nava A, Corrado D, Rossi L, Pennelli N. Right ventricular cardiomyopathy and sudden death in young people. N Engl J Med. 1988;318:129–133[Abstract]
4. Corrado D, Basso C, Schiavon M, Thiene G. Screening for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in young athletes. N Engl J Med. 1998;339:364–369[Abstract/Free Full Text]
5. Pelliccia A, Maron BJ. Preparticipation cardiovascular evaluation of the competitive athlete: perspectives from the 30-year Italian experience. Am J Cardiol. 1995;75:827–829[CrossRef][Medline]
6. Corrado D, Basso C, Poletti A, Angelini A, Valente M, Thiene G. Sudden death in the young: is coronary thrombosis the major precipitating factor? Circulation. 1994;90:2315–2323[Abstract/Free Full Text]
7. Thiene G, Pennelli N, Rossi L. Cardiac conduction system abnormalities as a possible cause of sudden death in young athletes. Hum Pathol. 1983;14:70–74[Medline]
8. Basso C, Thiene G, Corrado D, Angelini A, Nava A, Valente M. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy: dysplasia, dystrophy, or myocarditis? Circulation. 1996;94:983–991[Abstract/Free Full Text]
9. Van Camp SP, Bloor CM, Mueller FO, Cantu RC, Olson HG. Non-traumatic sports death in high school and college athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1995;27:641–647[Medline]
10. Maron BJ, Gohman TE, Aeppli D. Prevalence of sudden cardiac death during competitive sports activities in Minnesota high school athletes. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1998;32:1881–1884[Abstract/Free Full Text]
11. Maron BJ, Shirani J, Poliac LC, Mathenge R, Boberts WC, Mueller FO. Sudden death in young competitive athletes: clinical, demografics, and pathological profiles. JAMA. 1996;276:199–204[Abstract/Free Full Text]
12. Burke AP, Farb A, Virmani R, et al. Sports-related and non-sports-related sudden cardiac death in young adults. Am Heart J. 1991;121:568–575[CrossRef][Medline]
13. Nava A, Thiene G, Canciani B, et al. Familial occurrence of right ventricular dysplasia: a study involving nine families. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1988;12:1222–1228[Abstract]
14. Nava A, Bauce B, Basso C, et al. Clinical profile and long-term follow-up of 37 families with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2000;36:2226–2233[Abstract/Free Full Text]
15. Corrado D, Basso C, Thiene G, et al. Spectrum of clinicopathologic manifestations of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia: a multicenter study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1997;30:1512–1520[Abstract]
16. Basso C, Maron BJ, Corrado D, Thiene G. Clinical profile of congenital coronary artery anomalies with origin from the wrong aortic sinus leading to sudden death in young competitive athletes. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2000;35:1493–1501[Abstract/Free Full Text]
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
|
|
 
S. Gupta, T. Baman, and S. M. Day
Cardiovascular Health, Part 1: Preparticipation Cardiovascular Screening
Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach,
November 1, 2009;
1(6):
500 - 507.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Pelliccia
Implantable cardioverter defibrillator and competitive sport participation
Eur. Heart J.,
October 20, 2009;
(2009)
ehp463v1.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Papadakis, S. Sharma, S. Cox, M. N. Sheppard, V. F. Panoulas, and E. R. Behr
The magnitude of sudden cardiac death in the young: a death certificate-based review in England and Wales
Europace,
October 1, 2009;
11(10):
1353 - 1358.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. E. Billman
Cardiac autonomic neural remodeling and susceptibility to sudden cardiac death: effect of endurance exercise training
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol,
October 1, 2009;
297(4):
H1171 - H1193.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
N M Panhuyzen-Goedkoop
Preparticipation cardiovascular screening in young athletes
Br. J. Sports Med.,
September 1, 2009;
43(9):
629 - 630.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Ljungqvist, P. Jenoure, L. Engebretsen, J. M. Alonso, R. Bahr, A. Clough, G. De Bondt, J. Dvorak, R. Maloley, G. Matheson, et al.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Consensus Statement on periodic health evaluation of elite athletes March 2009
Br. J. Sports Med.,
September 1, 2009;
43(9):
631 - 643.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M Borjesson and A Pelliccia
Incidence and aetiology of sudden cardiac death in young athletes: an international perspective
Br. J. Sports Med.,
September 1, 2009;
43(9):
644 - 648.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M Papadakis and S Sharma
Electrocardiographic screening in athletes: the time is now for universal screening
Br. J. Sports Med.,
September 1, 2009;
43(9):
663 - 668.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
N H Prakken, B K Velthuis, M J Cramer, and A Mosterd
Advances in cardiac imaging: the role of magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography in identifying athletes at risk
Br. J. Sports Med.,
September 1, 2009;
43(9):
677 - 684.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M S Link
Prevention of sudden cardiac death: return to sport considerations in athletes with identified cardiovascular abnormalities
Br. J. Sports Med.,
September 1, 2009;
43(9):
685 - 689.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J A Drezner
Preparing for sudden cardiac arrest--the essential role of automated external defibrillators in athletic medicine: a critical review
Br. J. Sports Med.,
September 1, 2009;
43(9):
702 - 707.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C Schmied, Y Zerguini, A Junge, P Tscholl, A Pelliccia, B M Mayosi, and J Dvorak
Cardiac findings in the precompetition medical assessment of football players participating in the 2009 African Under-17 Championships in Algeria
Br. J. Sports Med.,
September 1, 2009;
43(9):
716 - 721.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. Reider
School Days
Am. J. Sports Med.,
September 1, 2009;
37(9):
1681 - 1683.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
B Bessem, F P Groot, and W Nieuwland
The Lausanne recommendations: a Dutch experience
Br. J. Sports Med.,
September 1, 2009;
43(9):
708 - 715.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
S V de Noronha, S Sharma, M Papadakis, S Desai, G Whyte, and M N Sheppard
Aetiology of sudden cardiac death in athletes in the United Kingdom: a pathological study
Heart,
September 1, 2009;
95(17):
1409 - 1414.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Basso, G. Thiene, S. Mackey-Bojack, A. C. Frigo, D. Corrado, and B. J. Maron
Myocardial bridging, a frequent component of the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy phenotype, lacks systematic association with sudden cardiac death
Eur. Heart J.,
July 1, 2009;
30(13):
1627 - 1634.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
R M Campbell, S Berger, and J Drezner
Sudden cardiac arrest in children and young athletes: the importance of a detailed personal and family history in the pre-participation evaluation
Br. J. Sports Med.,
May 1, 2009;
43(5):
336 - 341.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. J. Teske, N. H. Prakken, B. W. De Boeck, B. K. Velthuis, E. P. Martens, P. A. Doevendans, and M. J. Cramer
Echocardiographic tissue deformation imaging of right ventricular systolic function in endurance athletes
Eur. Heart J.,
April 2, 2009;
30(8):
969 - 977.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. D. Rothmier and J. A. Drezner
The Role of Automated External Defibrillators in Athletics
Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach,
January 1, 2009;
1(1):
16 - 20.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Corrado, C. Basso, A. Pelliccia, and G. Thiene
CHAPTER 32 Sports and Heart Disease
ESC Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine,
January 1, 2009;
2(1):
med-9780199566990-chapter - med-9780199566990-chapter.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Corrado, C. Basso, M. Schiavon, A. Pelliccia, and G. Thiene
Pre-Participation Screening of Young Competitive Athletes for Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol.,
December 9, 2008;
52(24):
1981 - 1989.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Pelliccia, D. P. Zipes, and B. J. Maron
Bethesda Conference #36 and the European Society of Cardiology Consensus Recommendations Revisited: A Comparison of U.S. and European Criteria for Eligibility and Disqualification of Competitive Athletes With Cardiovascular Abnormalities
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol.,
December 9, 2008;
52(24):
1990 - 1996.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Papadakis, G. Whyte, and S. Sharma
Preparticipation screening for cardiovascular abnormalities in young competitive athletes
BMJ,
September 29, 2008;
337(sep29_1):
a1596 - a1596.
[Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Foster, J. P. Porcari, R. A. Battista, B. Udermann, G. Wright, and A. Lucia
The Risk in Exercise Training
American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine,
July 1, 2008;
2(4):
279 - 284.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M G Wilson, S Basavarajaiah, G P Whyte, S Cox, M Loosemore, and S Sharma
Efficacy of personal symptom and family history questionnaires when screening for inherited cardiac pathologies: the role of electrocardiography
Br. J. Sports Med.,
March 1, 2008;
42(3):
207 - 211.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Pelliccia, F. M. Di Paolo, F. M. Quattrini, C. Basso, F. Culasso, G. Popoli, R. De Luca, A. Spataro, A. Biffi, G. Thiene, et al.
Outcomes in Athletes with Marked ECG Repolarization Abnormalities
N. Engl. J. Med.,
January 10, 2008;
358(2):
152 - 161.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. F. Padera Jr. and F. J. Schoen
Pathology of Cardiac Surgery
Card. Surg. Adult,
January 1, 2008;
3(2008):
111 - 178.
[Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. J. Moss
What duration of the QTc interval should disqualify athletes from competitive sports?
Eur. Heart J.,
December 1, 2007;
28(23):
2825 - 2826.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Pelliccia
The preparticipation cardiovascular screening of competitive athletes: is it time to change the customary clinical practice?
Eur. Heart J.,
November 2, 2007;
28(22):
2703 - 2705.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. Lotfi, L. White, T. Rea, L. Cobb, M. Copass, L. Yin, L. Becker, and M. Eisenberg
Cardiac Arrest in Schools
Circulation,
September 18, 2007;
116(12):
1374 - 1379.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Pelliccia, F. Culasso, F. M. Di Paolo, D. Accettura, R. Cantore, W. Castagna, A. Ciacciarelli, G. Costini, B. Cuffari, E. Drago, et al.
Prevalence of abnormal electrocardiograms in a large, unselected population undergoing pre-participation cardiovascular screening
Eur. Heart J.,
August 2, 2007;
28(16):
2006 - 2010.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In Collaboration With the American College of Spor, P. D. Thompson, B. A. Franklin, G. J. Balady, S. N. Blair, D. Corrado, N.A. M. Estes III, J. E. Fulton, N. F. Gordon, W. L. Haskell, et al.
Exercise and Acute Cardiovascular Events: Placing the Risks Into Perspective: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism and the Council on Clinical Cardiology
Circulation,
May 1, 2007;
115(17):
2358 - 2368.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. J. Maron, P. D. Thompson, M. J. Ackerman, G. Balady, S. Berger, D. Cohen, R. Dimeff, P. S. Douglas, D. W. Glover, A. M. Hutter Jr, et al.
Recommendations and Considerations Related to Preparticipation Screening for Cardiovascular Abnormalities in Competitive Athletes: 2007 Update: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism: Endorsed by the American College of Cardiology Foundation
Circulation,
March 27, 2007;
115(12):
1643 - 1655.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. Syrris, D. Ward, A. Asimaki, A. Evans, S. Sen-Chowdhry, S. E. Hughes, and W. J. McKenna
Desmoglein-2 mutations in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy: a genotype-phenotype characterization of familial disease
Eur. Heart J.,
March 1, 2007;
28(5):
581 - 588.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Ector, J. Ganame, N. van der Merwe, B. Adriaenssens, L. Pison, R. Willems, M. Gewillig, and H. Heidbuchel
Reduced right ventricular ejection fraction in endurance athletes presenting with ventricular arrhythmias: a quantitative angiographic assessment
Eur. Heart J.,
February 1, 2007;
28(3):
345 - 353.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. D. Thompson, F. S. Apple, and A. Wu
Marathoner's Heart?
Circulation,
November 28, 2006;
114(22):
2306 - 2308.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Corrado, C. Basso, A. Pavei, P. Michieli, M. Schiavon, and G. Thiene
Trends in Sudden Cardiovascular Death in Young Competitive Athletes After Implementation of a Preparticipation Screening Program
JAMA,
October 4, 2006;
296(13):
1593 - 1601.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. D. Thompson and B. D. Levine
Protecting Athletes From Sudden Cardiac Death
JAMA,
October 4, 2006;
296(13):
1648 - 1650.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Developed in Collaboration With the European Heart, D. P. Zipes, A. J. Camm, M. Borggrefe, A. E. Buxton, B. Chaitman, M. Fromer, G. Gregoratos, G. Klein, A. J. Moss, et al.
ACC/AHA/ESC 2006 Guidelines for Management of Patients With Ventricular Arrhythmias and the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force and the European Society of Cardiology Committee for Practice Guidelines (Writing Committee to Develop Guidelines for Management of Patients With Ventricular Arrhythmias and the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death)
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol.,
September 5, 2006;
48(5):
e247 - e346.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Pelliccia, F. M. Di Paolo, D. Corrado, C. Buccolieri, F. M. Quattrini, C. Pisicchio, A. Spataro, A. Biffi, M. Granata, and B. J. Maron
Evidence for efficacy of the Italian national pre-participation screening programme for identification of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in competitive athletes
Eur. Heart J.,
September 2, 2006;
27(18):
2196 - 2200.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Writing Committee Members, D. P. Zipes, A. J. Camm, M. Borggrefe, A. E. Buxton, B. Chaitman, M. Fromer, G. Gregoratos, G. Klein, A. J. Moss, et al.
ACC/AHA/ESC 2006 guidelines for management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias and the prevention of sudden cardiac death: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force and the European Society of Cardiology Committee for Practice Guidelines (Writing Committee to Develop Guidelines for Management of Patients With Ventricular Arrhythmias and the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death) Developed in collaboration with the European Heart Rhythm Association and the Heart Rhythm Society
Europace,
September 1, 2006;
8(9):
746 - 837.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. Gunduz, H. Arinc, M. Kayardi, R. Akdemir, S. Ozyildirim, and C. Uyan
Heart rate turbulence and heart rate variability in patients with mitral valve prolapse
Europace,
July 1, 2006;
8(7):
515 - 520.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Kumpf, L. Sieverding, M. Gass, R. Kaulitz, G. Ziemer, and M. Hofbeck
Anomalous origin of left coronary artery in young athletes with syncope.
BMJ,
May 13, 2006;
332(7550):
1139 - 1141.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J.P. van Tintelen, M. M. Entius, Z. A. Bhuiyan, R. Jongbloed, A. C.P. Wiesfeld, A. A.M. Wilde, J. van der Smagt, L. G. Boven, M. M.A.M. Mannens, I. M. van Langen, et al.
Plakophilin-2 Mutations Are the Major Determinant of Familial Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia/Cardiomyopathy
Circulation,
April 4, 2006;
113(13):
1650 - 1658.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. Pilichou, A. Nava, C. Basso, G. Beffagna, B. Bauce, A. Lorenzon, G. Frigo, A. Vettori, M. Valente, J. Towbin, et al.
Mutations in Desmoglein-2 Gene Are Associated With Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
Circulation,
March 7, 2006;
113(9):
1171 - 1179.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. Syrris, D. Ward, A. Asimaki, S. Sen-Chowdhry, H. Y. Ebrahim, A. Evans, N. Hitomi, M. Norman, A. Pantazis, A. L. Shaw, et al.
Clinical Expression of Plakophilin-2 Mutations in Familial Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
Circulation,
January 24, 2006;
113(3):
356 - 364.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. E. Paterick, T. J. Paterick, G. F. Fletcher, and B. J. Maron
Medical and Legal Issues in the Cardiovascular Evaluation of Competitive Athletes
JAMA,
December 21, 2005;
294(23):
3011 - 3018.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
N E Manghat, G J Morgan-Hughes, A J Marshall, and C A Roobottom
Multidetector row computed tomography: imaging congenital coronary artery anomalies in adults
Heart,
December 1, 2005;
91(12):
1515 - 1522.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Corrado, A. Pelliccia, H. H. Bjornstad, and G. Thiene
Cardiovascular pre-participation screening of young competitive athletes for prevention of sudden death: proposal for a common European protocol: reply
Eur. Heart J.,
September 1, 2005;
26(17):
1804 - 1805.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Pelliccia, R. Fagard, H. H. Bjornstad, A. Anastassakis, E. Arbustini, D. Assanelli, A. Biffi, M. Borjesson, F. Carre, D. Corrado, et al.
Recommendations for competitive sports participation in athletes with cardiovascular disease: A consensus document from the Study Group of Sports Cardiology of the Working Group of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Exercise Physiology and the Working Group of Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases of the European Society of Cardiology
Eur. Heart J.,
July 2, 2005;
26(14):
1422 - 1445.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. J. Maron and D. P. Zipes
Introduction: Eligibility recommendations for competitive athletes with cardiovascular abnormalities--general considerations
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol.,
April 19, 2005;
45(8):
1318 - 1321.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. J. Maron, M. J. Ackerman, R. A. Nishimura, R. E. Pyeritz, J. A. Towbin, and J. E. Udelson
Task Force 4: HCM and other cardiomyopathies, mitral valve prolapse, myocarditis, and Marfan syndrome
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol.,
April 19, 2005;
45(8):
1340 - 1345.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Corrado, A. Pelliccia, H. H. Bjornstad, L. Vanhees, A. Biffi, M. Borjesson, N. Panhuyzen-Goedkoop, A. Deligiannis, E. Solberg, D. Dugmore, et al.
Cardiovascular pre-participation screening of young competitive athletes for prevention of sudden death: proposal for a common European protocol: Consensus Statement of the Study Group of Sport Cardiology of the Working Group of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Exercise Physiology and the Working Group of Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases of the European Society of Cardiology
Eur. Heart J.,
March 1, 2005;
26(5):
516 - 524.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. J. Maron
How should we screen competitive athletes for cardiovascular disease?
Eur. Heart J.,
March 1, 2005;
26(5):
428 - 430.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Antzelevitch, P. Brugada, M. Borggrefe, J. Brugada, R. Brugada, D. Corrado, I. Gussak, H. LeMarec, K. Nademanee, A. R. Perez Riera, et al.
Brugada Syndrome: Report of the Second Consensus Conference: Endorsed by the Heart Rhythm Society and the European Heart Rhythm Association
Circulation,
February 8, 2005;
111(5):
659 - 670.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. Soejima and W. G. Stevenson
Athens, athletes, and arrhythmias: The cardiologist's dilemma
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol.,
September 1, 2004;
44(5):
1059 - 1061.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. J. Maron, B. R. Chaitman, M. J. Ackerman, A. Bayes de Luna, D. Corrado, J. E. Crosson, B. J. Deal, D. J. Driscoll, N.A. M. Estes III, C. G. S. Araujo, et al.
Recommendations for Physical Activity and Recreational Sports Participation for Young Patients With Genetic Cardiovascular Diseases
Circulation,
June 8, 2004;
109(22):
2807 - 2816.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sudden Death in Young Athletes
Journal Watch Cardiology,
February 27, 2004;
2004(227):
5 - 5.
[Full Text]
|
|
|
|
Top
Abstract
Methods