Sports and cardiac arrhythmias

Abstract

Cardiac arrhythmias in competitive sports include serious ventricular tachycardias associated with structural heart diseases and arrhythmogenic syndromes, but also less risky supraventricular tachycardias. The most common structural cause of sudden cardiac death is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, followed by arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, long QT syndrome, early repolarization and WPW syndrome. Sudden cardiac death could occur in case of anomalous origins of coronary arteries and myocarditis. This review addresses also less risky arrhythmias which are more frequently observed in athletes, such as atrial fibrillation. Although premature ventricular beats in young athletes are usually benign, they may rarely mark underlying heart disease and risk of sudden cardiac death.