Tag Archives: athlete

Background Sudden death in young adults is a highly devastating and tragic event. The majority of sudden deaths in young individuals can be attributed to cardiac causes as a result of abnormalities in either cardiac structure or electrical system. The large body of evidence concerning sudden cardiac death (SCD) has been evaluated in young competitive athletes. Indeed, this demographic are more at risk as intensive exercise may be a trigger for SCD in those with underlying cardiac disease.1 Additionally, sudden deaths in young athletes are often high profile and raise significant media awareness. Estimates of incidence of SCD in athletes seem

Introduction Regular intense exercise often results in a series of electrical, structural and functional changes, collectively named as the ‘athlete’s heart’.1 These include mild harmonic increases in cardiac chamber size and in left ventricular wall thickness.2 Athletes often exhibit sinus bradycardia, first-degree atrioventricular (AV) block, isolated QRS voltage criteria for right and left ventricular hypertrophy and early repolarisation.3 These physiological changes can closely mimic serious cardiac conditions, such as cardiomyopathies.4 The differentiation between ‘athlete’s heart’ and cardiomyopathies is crucial to prevent u