Abnormal Electrocardiographic (ECG) Findings Among Iranian Professional Athletes Competing In The 17th Asian Games, Incheon, 2014

Abstract

Long-term, intense physical activity causes benign, reversible cardiac remodeling, also known as athletic heart syndrome (AHS). Physiologically, an athletes' enhanced sympathetic activity alters their usual QRS and T wave patterns. Sinus bradycardia, grade 1 and 2 heart blocks, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), J-point, T wave inversion (TWI), and in rare circumstances, ST-segment elevation are among the usual ECG alterations in AHS. It is important to rule out sudden cardiac death (SCD) because it can also be screened with these changes. So the aim of the current study was to determine the prevalence of abnormal ECG findings in Iranian professional athletes competing at the 17th Incheon Asian Games in 2014. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 318 athletes by the Sports Medicine department of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Medical records of the participants were accessed through the Sports Medicine Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Participants’ ECGs were accessed from their medical records. 67 females (21.1%) and 251 males (78.9%) were enrolled. The mean age of the participants was 20.2 years (range: 15-44). Long QT was found in 7 athletes (2.2%), while long QT syndrome was found in 2 athletes (0.32%). In total, 2 athletes (0.6%) had TWI in their ECG. Anterior TWI was not observed in any of the participants. Three participants (0.9%) had atrial premature complexes (APC), 43 participants (13.2%) had sinus arrhythmias, and 272 participants (85.8%) did not have any arrhythmias. Although ECG is an inexpensive and useful tool for screening any potential cardiac abnormalities in the population, it’s informing benefit in limited.