Sudden cardiac death in sports

Abstract

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a tragic event that is the leading cause of death in athletes. This thesis reviews the literature of SCD in athletes. The cardiac pathology leading to SCD in a young athlete can be classified into three categories: electrical (e.g. LQTS, Brugada syndrome, CPVT, structural (e.g. HCM, ARVC, CCAA, and acquired cardiac abnormalities (e.g. CAD, commotio cordis, myocarditis). Preparticipation cardiovascular screening is essential for the evaluation of athletes before they will participate in competitive sports for early identification of cardiac abnormalities that could provoke SCD and they might need to be disqualified from the sport for the best prevention.