scholarly journals For the Evaluation of Pacific Island Athletes, an ECG and Echocardiography Are Highly Recommended

Hearts ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 270-277
Author(s):  
Jean-Claude Chatard

Physical exercise increases the relative risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in athletes when compared to a non-sporting population. Pre-participation evaluation (PPE) of athletes is thus of major importance. For Pacific Island athletes, medical guidelines recommend an echocardiography to complement a PPE including personal and family history, a physical examination and a resting twelve-lead electrocardiogram (ECG). Indeed, silent rheumatoid heart diseases found in up to 7.6% of adolescents give rise to severe valve lesions, which are the main causes of SCD in Pacific Island athletes. This short review examines the incidence rate of SCD in Pacific Island athletes and indicates how a questionnaire, physical examination, ECG and echocardiography can prevent it.

Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuomas Kenttä ◽  
Bruce D Nearing ◽  
Kimmo Porthan ◽  
Jani T Tikkanen ◽  
Matti Viitasalo ◽  
...  

Introduction: Noninvasive identification of patients at risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD) remains a major clinical challenge. Abnormal ventricular repolarization is associated with increased risk of lethal ventricular arrhythmias and SCD. Hypothesis: We investigated the hypothesis that spatial repolarization heterogeneity can identify patients at risk for SCD in general population. Methods: Spatial R-, J- and T-wave heterogeneities (RWH, JWH and TWH, respectively) were automatically analyzed with second central moment technique from standard digital 12-lead ECGs in 5618 adults (46% men; age 50.9±12.5 yrs.) who took part in Health 2000 Study, an epidemiological survey representative of the entire Finnish adult population. During average follow-up of 7.7±1.4 years, a total of 72 SCDs occurred. Thresholds of RWH, JWH and TWH were based on optimal cutoff points from ROC curves. Results: Increased RWH, JWH and TWH (Fig.1) in left precordial leads (V4-V6) were univariately associated with SCD (P<0.001, each). When adjusted with clinical risk markers (age, gender, BMI, systolic blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate, left ventricular hypertrophy, QRS duration, arterial hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease and previous myocardial infarction) JWH and TWH remained as independent predictors of SCD. Increased TWH (≥102μV) was associated with a 1.9-fold adjusted relative risk (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2 - 3.1; P=0.011) and increased JWH (≥123μV) with a 2.0-fold adjusted relative risk for SCD (95% CI: 1.2 - 3.3; P=0.004). When both TWH and JWH were above threshold, the adjusted relative risk for SCD was 3.2-fold (95% CI: 1.7 - 6.2; P<0.001). When all heterogeneity measures (RWH, JWH and TWH) were above threshold, the risk for SCD was 3.7-fold (95% CI: 1.6 - 8.6; P=0.003). Conclusions: Automated measurement of spatial J- and T-wave heterogeneity enables analysis of high patient volumes and is able to stratify SCD risk in general population.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Cotrim ◽  
F Costa ◽  
D Severino ◽  
L Baquero ◽  
J Guardado

Abstract Background Some publications, on exercise induced intraventricular gradients, admit the possibility they can be related to some cases of unexplained sudden cardiac death (SCD). Clinical case We present the case of a young male athlete (16 years) that after winning a triathlon competition has sudden cardiac death. No cardiovascular risk factors. No family history of SCD A previous episode of dizziness, accompanied by nausea and vomiting related to intense training happens 6 months before. In September 2018 about 30 minutes after winning a triathlon competition has SCD episode having been resuscitated on site by the competition physician having been defibrillated and transported to intensive care unit. After discharge, cardiac MRI, Coronary AngioTC, complete genetic study for heart diseases, flecainid test, transthoracic echocardiogram, stress echocardiogram with hyperventilation and ergometrine. All have normal results (Figure) During 24 hours Holter ECG isolated premature ventricular complexes were detected and during exercise stress echocardiography a significant intraventricular gradient without systolic anterior movement of mitral valve was detected (Figure). The athlete was disqualified for sports practice, refuses CDI implantation and started bisoprolol 2,5 mg daily. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case of association between SCD and exercise induced intraventricular gradient. This possible association should be studied in the future. Abstract P859 Figure. Intraventricular gradient in SCD athlete


Author(s):  
Tusharkanti Patra ◽  
Prashant Kumar ◽  
Somnath Mukherjee ◽  
Anurag Passi ◽  
S. K. Saidul Islam

Background: Main objective of the study is details work up of the patients of ventricular tachy-arrhythmias and to find out its association with any structural heart disease.Methods: This institution based observational study was conducted in patients of documented sustained VT (ventricular tachycardia) with consecutive 102 patients.Results: The mean age of the VT patients was 56.7 years and the number of male patients were 70 (69%). In our study, among 102 patients 45 patients were diabetic, 64 patients were hypertensive, 30 patients were current smoker, family history of heart disease was present in 25 patients and family history of SCD (sudden cardiac death) was present in 5 patients. Among the patients who presented with symptoms of ventricular tachy arrhythmia, 25 patients had EF (ejection fraction) above 40%, 36 had EF between 31 to 40% and only 2 had EF below 30%. CAG (coronary angiography) done in 98 patients and 16 had normal coronaries. 20, 16 and 46 patients had single, double and triple vessel disease respectively. 80 patients had coronary heart disease (78%), 20 patients among them had acute ischemic events and 60 had chronic ischemic disease. 12 patients didn’t have any structural heart disease.Conclusions: Ischemic heart disease, acute or chronic, is the most common causes of ventricular tachyarrhythmia. male sex, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, smoking, family history of heart diseases or sudden cardiac death being the risk factors of coronary artery disease are also predisposing factors of ventricular tachyarrhythmia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Yeates ◽  
K Gardner ◽  
J Do ◽  
L Van Den Heuvel ◽  
G Fleming ◽  
...  

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): National Heart Foundation of Australia / NHMRC Co-funded Post Graduate Scholarship Introduction Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a devastating complication of many genetic heart diseases. The psychological impact on surviving family members is significant and lifelong. Previous needs analysis found medical and psychological needs are of high importance but remain unmet in some cases. Co-design is an increasingly popular research method for the development of interventions and services that include users as contributing members of the research team. Previous research has shown co-design leads to innovative ideas that better address user needs. Purpose To use co-design to develop an online support intervention for families after SCD. Methods Semi-structured moderated online focus groups were held with key stakeholders, including family members who had experienced young SCD, healthcare professionals and researchers. Guided discussions were used to co-design an online support intervention. Thematic analysis of discussions and iterative feedback on draft materials guided content development. Results Four focus groups were held (average 11 participants per group). Stakeholder involvement facilitated development of high-level ideas and priority issues. Key benefits included creative content and materials developed based on user preference for stories, narratives and information reflecting everyday experience of families navigating the legal and medical processes surrounding SCD, normalising and supporting grief responses in the context of family relationships, and fostering hope. Conclusion Co-design supported creative presentation, tailoring of information and development of psychosocial interventions to meet the needs of SCD families. Further work is needed to pilot and trial the intervention, prior to it becoming a key resource in the care of these families.


EP Europace ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bjarke Risgaard ◽  
Jonas Bille Nielsen ◽  
Reza Jabbari ◽  
Stig Haunsø ◽  
Anders Gaarsdal Holst ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Dillan Ismail ◽  
Anders Eriksson ◽  
Stellan Mörner ◽  
Annika Rydberg

AbstractIntensive participation in sport has positive physiological effects on the heart. The contractility of the heart improves, the ejection fraction increases and the muscle mass of the heart increases, thus leading to a greater cardiac output. Despite these positive effects, there is still an increased risk for acute cardiac events. The workload of the heart can be very high in some sports and may in some cases be the reason for sudden cardiac death. In these cases, there is often an underlying heart disease (cardiomyopathy) unknown before the actual event. Electrocardiographic examination (ECG) may reveal some of these diseases but although ECG examinations can be a useful tool to discover pathological conditions, there could be difficulties in interpreting different ECG patterns, especially in athletes. In some cases, athletes may exhibit ECG patterns that are similar to those in heart diseases such as cardiomyopathies (QRS-amplitudes, ST-segment elevation and T wave inversions in lateral leads).  This pattern is even more common in athletes of African origins. Furthermore, cardiomyopathies such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are more common among athletes with African heritage than in white athletes. Thus correct interpretation of ECG is crucial for several reasons: to distinguish between benign physiological (‘athlete’s heart’) and pathological changes, to lower the risk of sudden cardiac death, and to save time and money by not undertaking further examination of the heart.


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