Internationale Zeitschrift für Physikalische Medizin und Rehabilitation
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Evaluation of the Prevalence of Risk Indicators for Sudden Cardiac Death in Young Athletes

Antonio da Silva Menezes Junior, Jutay Fernando Silva Louzeiro, Viviane Batista de Magalhães Pereira and Edésio Martins School of

Background: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in athletes during physical activity is rare.
Objectives: To evaluate the warning signs for SCD in young athletes and correlate them with electrocardiographic data.
Methods: This was a case-control, prospective study, and comparing athletes with sedentary individuals. The Sudden Cardiac Death Screening of Risk Factors (SCD-SOS) questionnaire was applied and resting electrocardiography was performed.
Results: In total, 898 participants were included, 589 (65.6%) in the case group (athletes) and 309 (34.4%) in the control group (sedentary). Fainting episodes were significantly less frequent in athletes (odds ratio 0.252, p<0.001). Heart rates were not significantly different. The most common electrocardiographic findings were sinus arrhythmia, right bundle branch conduction disorder, and early repolarization.
Conclusion: Young athletes had a lower frequency of risk indicators for sudden cardiac death. There was a positive correlation between fainting reported by athletes and the duration of the QRS complex.