Electrocardiographic Findings in Professional Male Athletes. 2022

Karanvir S Raman, and John R Vyselaar
Karanvir S. Raman: Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.

To generate granular normative electrocardiogram (ECG) data and characterize the variation by ethnicity and sport played. Cross-sectional study; ECGs were collected from preseason screening programs from 2012 to 2019 and interpreted in accordance with athlete-specific guidelines. Of the professional athletes based in Vancouver, the North Shore Heart Centre performs the annual preparticipation ECG screening. Seven hundred fifty-three professional male athletes competing in hockey, football, lacrosse, skiing, and snowboarding. Independent variables include commonly transcribed electrocardiographic findings, for example, those indicating benign and pathologic findings. Prevalence of and variance in electrocardiographic findings by sport played and ethnicity. Of the 753 athletes, 171 (22.3%) were National Hockey League, 358 (47.5%) were Canadian Football League, 163 (21.6%) were Major League Soccer and/or the Canadian National Soccer team, and 61 (8%) others. The most common finding, sinus bradycardia, was more likely in both soccer (P < 0.001) and hockey (P < 0.001) versus football players. Early repolarization (ER) was more likely in soccer players versus both hockey (P < 0.001) and football players (P = 0.001). Within football, Black athletes (BA) were more likely than White athletes to display ER (P = 0.009), left ventricular hypertrophy (P = 0.004), and nonspecific ST changes (P = 0.027). Our study contributes to the generation of normative data for ECG findings while accounting for ethnic and sport-specific variation. The expected clinical presentation of endurance athletes, including soccer players, and the possible predisposition of BA to develop distinct adaptations can augment clinical care by delineating physiology from pathologic changes.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D002170 Canada The largest country in North America, comprising 10 provinces and three territories. Its capital is Ottawa.
D003430 Cross-Sectional Studies Studies in which the presence or absence of disease or other health-related variables are determined in each member of the study population or in a representative sample at one particular time. This contrasts with LONGITUDINAL STUDIES which are followed over a period of time. Disease Frequency Surveys,Prevalence Studies,Analysis, Cross-Sectional,Cross Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Survey,Surveys, Disease Frequency,Analyses, Cross Sectional,Analyses, Cross-Sectional,Analysis, Cross Sectional,Cross Sectional Analyses,Cross Sectional Studies,Cross Sectional Survey,Cross-Sectional Analyses,Cross-Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Study,Cross-Sectional Surveys,Disease Frequency Survey,Prevalence Study,Studies, Cross-Sectional,Studies, Prevalence,Study, Cross-Sectional,Study, Prevalence,Survey, Cross-Sectional,Survey, Disease Frequency,Surveys, Cross-Sectional
D005538 Football A competitive team sport played on a rectangular field.This is the American version of the game. It does not include non-North American football ( American Football,Football, American
D006688 Hockey A game in which two parties of players provided with curved or hooked sticks seek to drive a ball or puck through opposite goals. This applies to either ice hockey or field hockey. Field Hockey,Ice Hockey,Field Hockeys,Hockey, Field,Hockey, Ice,Hockeys,Hockeys, Field,Hockeys, Ice,Ice Hockeys
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012916 Soccer A game in which a round inflated ball is advanced by kicking or propelling with any part of the body except the hands or arms. The object of the game is to place the ball in opposite goals. European Football,Football European,European, Football,Europeans, Football,Football, European
D056352 Athletes Individuals who have developed skills, physical stamina and strength or participants in SPORTS or other physical activities. College Athletes,Elite Athletes,Professional Athletes,Athlete,Athlete, College,Athlete, Elite,Athlete, Professional,Athletes, College,Athletes, Elite,Athletes, Professional,College Athlete,Elite Athlete,Professional Athlete

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