Incidence and Causes of Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletes

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the leading cause of medical death in athletes; however, many studies are significantly flawed making an accurate estimation of risk difficult. Incidence studies need to have accurate case ascertainment, a defined study population, and should be stratified by both sex and age. The risk of SCA/d in college-aged males is 1 in 35,000 person-years, black males 1 in 18,000 person-years, and higher-risk sports include men ’s basketball, men’s soccer, and American football. Inherited cardiomyopathies and electrical conditions account for ∼ 2/3 of off SCA/d and can be detected with an ECG. More research is needed to provide more granular estimates.
Source: Clinics in Sports Medicine - Category: Sports Medicine Authors: Source Type: research