Incidence Of Sudden Cardiac Death In Athletes Research Articles

Young athletes: Preventing sudden death by adopting a modern screening approach? A critical review and the opening of a debate.

Preventing sudden cardiac death (SCD) in athletes is a primary duty of sports cardiologists. Current recommendations for detecting high-risk cardiovascular conditions (hr-CVCs) are history and physical examination (H&P)-based. We discuss the effectiveness of H&P-based screening versus more-modern and accurate methods. In this position paper, we review current authoritative statements and suggest a novel alternative: screening MRI (s-MRI), supported by evidence from a preliminary population-based study (completed in 2018), and a prospective, controlled study in military recruits (in development). We present: 1. Literature-Based Comparisons (for diagnosing hr-CVCs): Two recent studies using traditional methods to identify hr-CVCs in >3,000 young athletes are compared with our s-MRI-based study of 5,169 adolescents. 2. Critical Review of Previous Results: The reported incidence of SCD in athletes is presently based on retrospective, observational, and incomplete studies. H&P's screening value seems minimal for structural heart disease, versus echocardiography (which improves diagnosis for high-risk cardiomyopathies) and s-MRI (which also identifies high-risk coronary artery anomalies). Electrocardiography is valuable in screening for potentially high-risk electrophysiological anomalies. 3. Proposed Project : We propose a prospective, controlled study (2 comparable large cohorts: one historical, one prospective) to compare: (1) diagnostic accuracy and resulting mortality-prevention performance of traditional screening methods versus questionnaire/electrocardiography/s-MRI, during 2-month periods of intense, structured exercise (in military recruits, in advanced state of preparation); (2) global costs and cost/efficiency between these two methods. This study should contribute significantly toward a comprehensive understanding of the incidence and causes of exercise-related mortality (including establishing a definition of hr-CVCs) while aiming to reduce mortality.

Incidence and Etiology of Sudden Cardiac Death: New Updates for Athletic Departments.

Context:Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in a young athlete is a tragic event and is the leading medical cause of death in this population. The precise incidence of SCD in young athletes has been subject of debate, with studies reporting drastically different rates (1:917,000 athlete-years (AYs) to 1:3000 AYs) depending on the methodological design of the investigation or the targeted population.Evidence Acquisition:A literature search was performed in PubMed using the terms: incidence, sudden cardiac death, sudden death, sudden cardiac arrest, etiology, pathology, registry, athlete, young, children, and adolescents. Articles were reviewed for relevance and included if they contained information on the incidence of SCD in athletes or young persons up to the age of 35 years.Study Design:Clinical review.Level of Evidence:Level 5.Results:Studies of high quality and rigor consistently yield an incidence of 1:50,000 AYs in college athletes and between 1:50,000 and 1:80,000 AYs for high school athletes, with certain subgroups that appear to be at particularly high risk, including the following: men, basketball players, and African Americans. Initial reports suggest that the most common cause of SCD is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). However, more comprehensive investigations in the United States and international populations—athletes, nonathletes, and military—support that the most common finding on autopsy in young individuals with SCD is actually a structurally normal heart (autopsy-negative sudden unexplained death).Conclusion:SCD is the leading cause of death in athletes during exercise and usually results from intrinsic cardiac conditions that are triggered by the physiologic demands of vigorous exercise. Current rates of SCD appear to be at least 4 to 5 times higher than previously estimated, with men, African Americans, and male basketball players being at greatest risk. Emerging data suggest that the leading finding associated with SCD in athletes is actually a structurally normal heart (autopsy-negative sudden unexplained death).

Prevalence of Electrocardiographic Anomalies in Young Individuals: Relevance to a Nationwide Cardiac Screening Program

This study sought to investigate the prevalence of potentially abnormal electrocardiographic (ECG) patterns in young individuals to assess the implications for a nationwide screening program for conditions causing sudden cardiac death (SCD). The Italian experience suggests that pre-participation screening with ECG reduces the incidence of SCD in athletes. However, the majority of SCDs occur in nonathletes. In the United Kingdom, screening for cardiac disorders is confined to symptomatic individuals or those with a family history of inherited cardiac conditions or premature cardiac death. Between 2008 and 2012, 7,764 nonathletes ages 14 to 35 years underwent ECG screening. Electrocardiograms were analyzed for group 1 (training-related) and group 2 (potentially pathological) patterns presented in the 2010 European Society of Cardiology position paper, which advocates further evaluation for individuals with group 2 ECG patterns. Results were compared with 4,081 athletes. Group 1 patterns occurred in 49.1% of nonathletes and 87.4% of athletes (p< 0.001). Group 2 patterns occurred in21.8% of nonathletes and 33% of athletes (p< 0.001). In nonathletes, QTc interval abnormalities comprised themajority (52%) of group 2 changes, whereas T-wave inversions constituted 11%. Male sex and African/Afro-Caribbean ethnicity demonstrated the strongest association with group 2 ECG patterns. The study demonstrates that 1 in 5 young people have group 2 ECG patterns. The low incidence of SCD in young people suggests that in most instances such patterns are non-specific. These findings have significant implications on the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of nationwide screening programs for cardiovascular disease in young nonathletes and athletes alike, on the basis of current guidelines.

Incidence of Sudden Cardiac Death in Minnesota High School Athletes 1993–2012 Screened With a Standardized Pre-Participation Evaluation

This study sought to determine the incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD) during Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) games and practices for high school (HS) athletes (12 to 19 years of age, with most age 15 to 18 years of age) using a uniform statewide pre-participation health screening examination (PPE) form every 3 years on a defined population across 19 academic years. Adding electrocardiographic screening is being considered by some to reduce cardiac death rates in athletes, but the death rates in defined groups screened by the current U.S. PPE recommendations are unknown. MSHSL participation records were surveyed to determine the number of unduplicated athletes for 1993/1994 through 2011/2012 academic years, and catastrophic insurance records were used to find cardiac deaths. There were 4 SCDs (2 cross country, 1 basketball, 1 wrestling), all male, during practice or games in 1,666,509 unduplicated athletes participating in ≥ 1 sports. The incidence of SCD in athletes screened every 3 years with a history and physical during MSHSL activities is 0.24 per 100,000 athlete-years over 19 years and 0.11 per 100,000 athlete-years over the past decade. The incidence of SCD in athletes screened every 3 years with standard PPE during MSHSL activities is 0.24 per 100,000 athlete-years in 19 academic years. This incidence is much lower than that observed in studies of Division 1 National Collegiate Athletic Association and Italian athletes (ages 18 to 25 and mean age 24 years, respectively). Our data do not warrant screening HS athletes with electrocardiography to prevent SCD episodes. The decision to screen athletes with electrocardiography should consider age, training intensity, and genetic predisposition.

Cardiovascular Assessment for Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletes

Cardiovascular Assessment for Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletes