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Athletes and ECG
New research suggests that when electrocardiograms detect heart problems in competitive athletes, further tests should be conducted to determine their severity.
The heart, like any other muscle, can change due to vigorous exercise. Researchers at the Institute of Sports Science in Rome, Italy, where all members of the Italian Olympic team are required to undergo an annual medical evaluation, compared the accuracy of electrocardiogram, the most commonly used test, to echocardiogram results in 1,005 athletes. Electrocardiograms, or ECGs, measure the electrical impulses produced by the heart and produce a chart showing when the heart beats and rests. Echocardiograms provide an ultrasound image of the heart.
ECGs showed 14 percent of the athletes had what was categorized as "distinct" heart abnormalities and another 26 percent showed "mild" heart abnormalities. Those with "distinct" heart abnormalities underwent an echocardiogram. Researchers found 90 percent of this group had an enlarged left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber, and increases in heart wall thickness, a sign of potential problems. These athletes trained in mainly endurance sports, such as long-distance running, cross-country skiing, rowing and cycling.
"In practical terms," says lead researcher Dr. Antonio Pelliccia, "our research suggests that when a doctor sees an abnormal ECG in an athlete, further investigative tests such as an echocardiogram should be conducted to rule out actual structural abnormalities."
The study also showed female athletes were more likely to have normal ECGs than male athletes. "It's important for us to know how reliable the ECG is for detecting whether the changes in an athlete's heart are life threatening," Dr. Pelliccia says.
This study is published in the July 18 issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association
Read more about Exercise Physiology.
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New research suggests that when electrocardiograms detect heart problems in competitive athletes, further tests should be conducted to determine their severity.
The heart, like any other muscle, can change due to vigorous exercise. Researchers at the Institute of Sports Science in Rome, Italy, where all members of the Italian Olympic team are required to undergo an annual medical evaluation, compared the accuracy of electrocardiogram, the most commonly used test, to echocardiogram results in 1,005 athletes. Electrocardiograms, or ECGs, measure the electrical impulses produced by the heart and produce a chart showing when the heart beats and rests. Echocardiograms provide an ultrasound image of the heart.
ECGs showed 14 percent of the athletes had what was categorized as "distinct" heart abnormalities and another 26 percent showed "mild" heart abnormalities. Those with "distinct" heart abnormalities underwent an echocardiogram. Researchers found 90 percent of this group had an enlarged left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber, and increases in heart wall thickness, a sign of potential problems. These athletes trained in mainly endurance sports, such as long-distance running, cross-country skiing, rowing and cycling.
"In practical terms," says lead researcher Dr. Antonio Pelliccia, "our research suggests that when a doctor sees an abnormal ECG in an athlete, further investigative tests such as an echocardiogram should be conducted to rule out actual structural abnormalities."
The study also showed female athletes were more likely to have normal ECGs than male athletes. "It's important for us to know how reliable the ECG is for detecting whether the changes in an athlete's heart are life threatening," Dr. Pelliccia says.
This study is published in the July 18 issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association
Read more about Exercise Physiology.
Previous Features
