Prevalence of cardiac arrhythmia under stress conditions in occupational health assessments of young military servicemen and servicewomen

Abstract

Objectives: In health assessments of young temporary-career volunteers who are up for re-enlistment, cardiac stress tests are mandatory to detect cardiac diseases and to confirm physical fitness. So far, there is no information available regarding the extent to which this time-consuming examination contributes to the diagnosis of pathological cardiac arrhythmia in this young, preselected patient collective. Methods: In a retrospective data analysis, health assessments of 1919 temporary-career volunteers conducted between 2007 and 2012 were examined with regard to pathological findings provided by resting electrocardiograms (ECGs) and exercise ECGs. Results: Only five subjects showed signs of heart disease during the resting ECG; none of the exercise ECGs revealed any abnormalities, even after further cardiological examinations. Conclusions: In health assessments of young temporary-career volunteers, the exercise ECG as a mandatory examination should be replaced by the resting ECG. In addition to avoiding unnecessary examinations and associated risks, quite a large number of working years could be saved both for medical personnel and the persons examined.