Long-term assessment of electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings in Norwegian elite endurance athletes

Cardiology
Hans H BjørnstadBarry J Maron

Abstract

The long-term outcome and clinical significance of athlete's heart has been debated and more longitudinal data are needed. We present a prospective 15 years' follow-up study of ECG and echo findings in elite endurance athletes following the end of their competitive career. Clinical evaluation, ECG, ambulatory Holter recording and echocardiography were performed in 30 top-level endurance athletes with a mean age of 24 years with follow-up 15 years later. All had then ended their competitive career, but still performed recreational sports activities. No clinical events were reported. Average resting heart rate was unchanged (53.5 +/- 10 at baseline and 55.4 +/- 11 at follow-up, p = n.s.), complex ventricular arrhythmias did not occur and the number of ventricular premature beats (VPBs) were 0.4 +/- 0.8/h at baseline and 3.8 +/- 10/h at follow-up (p = n.s.). In a subgroup of 4 subjects with >100 VPBs per hour at follow-up left ventricular mass was increased compared to the others (p < 0.03). Furthermore, regression of sino-atrial (SA) and atrioventricular (AV) blocks was shown. There were no cases of atrial flutter or fibrillation. There was a slight reduction in mean left ventricular wall thickness (9.9 +/- 1.2 vs. 9.5 +/- 1.4 mm...Continue Reading

Citations

Jun 25, 2009·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·Susan ChengThomas J Wang
Jun 13, 2013·European Heart Journal·Kasper AndersenJohan Sundström
Sep 27, 2015·Herz·R Laszlo, J M Steinacker
Feb 11, 2014·Heart and Vessels·Christian KnackstedtHans-Georg Predel
Apr 10, 2009·JACC. Cardiovascular Imaging·Andre La GercheDavid L Prior
Nov 11, 2016·Nature Reviews. Cardiology·Eduard Guasch, Lluís Mont
Apr 24, 2013·European Journal of Preventive Cardiology·Matthias Wilhelm
Feb 8, 2018·European Journal of Preventive Cardiology·Bente MorsethDag S Thelle
Feb 9, 2012·Tidsskrift for den Norske lægeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny række·Sidsel Graff-IversenDag S Thelle
Feb 9, 2010·Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports·J GrimsmoH Arnesen
Jul 31, 2010·Expert Review of Cardiovascular Therapy·Jostein Grimsmo, Harald Arnesen

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