Bundle Branch Block And Ventricular Hypertrophy Status Among Iranian Professional Athletes Competing In 17th Asian Games, Incheon

Abstract

Bundle branch blocks (BBB) in the V4-V6 precordial leads and hemi blocks are typically found in athletes. However, the prevalence of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), a recognized etiology of SCD, increases with a persistent right BBB (RBBB) in the ECG. RBBB can also reveal hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the primary cause of SCD. RBBB and left posterior hemi block (LPH) are two abnormal ECG changes known to increase the risk of SCD in the athletic population. Furthermore, some studies have suggested a relationship between ventricular hypertrophy and SCD, possibly through RBBB. Some studies indicate that SCD can be predicted through LVH patterns in ECG. The current situation regarding ECG results in athletes of Iranian ethnic background is uncertain. So the objective of this research was to investigate the prevalence of BBB and right or left ventricular hypertrophy in ECG of Iranian professional athletes competing at the 17th Incheon Asian Games. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 Iranian professional athletes competing in the 17th Asian Games, Incheon, by the Sports Medicine department of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. The participant's medical records were accessed through the Sports Medicine Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2018. Age, gender, sports branch, heart rate, and the existence of BBB or ventricular hypertrophies were documented in a checklist. The mean age of the participants was 20.35 ± 1.76. Thirty participants were female (30%), and 70 (70%) were male. RBBB was observed in 42 (42%) participants and LPH in 2 (2%) participants. The existence of BBB (both RBBB and LPH) was not significantly related to rate, age, or gender (P > 0.05). However, RBBB was significantly prevalent in Judo and Fencing (P = 0.031). 89% of the participants had no ventricular hypertrophy, 10% had LVH, and 1% had RVH. The existence of ventricular hypertrophy did not have a significant relationship with age, gender, rate, or sports branches (P > 0.05). These frequencies could be expected in this population; however, great attention is needed to rule out life-threatening conditions in these patients when an abnormal ECG is observed.