Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletes: Consensuses and Controversies

Abstract

Exercise is widely considered beneficial for cardiovascular health. However, on rare occasions, athletes experience sudden cardiac death without any preceding symptoms. The devastating nature of these events necessitates us to understand the underlying causes. In younger athletes (age <35), the underlying causes are usually hereditary/genetic, whereas in older athletes (age >35), coronary artery disease is prevalent. Sudden cardiac death in athletes can occur regardless of the presence of any structural abnormality in the heart. Despite divergence between guidelines, the majority of cardiology societies recommend at least taking a comprehensive history and performing physical examinations for initial screening for all athletes. This article reviews the consensuses and controversies regarding the incidence, causes, and prevention of sudden cardiac death in athletes.

The Changing World of Sports Physical Therapy

“…Yet, within this country, the incidence of sudden cardia death (SCD) of athletes has been reported to be as high as one every three days in competitive sports activities. 1,2 It is important to note that reported incidences of SCD vary drastically 1 due to variations in demographic information collected as well as variability in the operational definition of who is an athlete, further complicating how we as sports medicine professionals address this cataclysm.…”