TY - JOUR
T1 - Sudden cardiac death in athletes
T2 - A 20-year analysis in Portugal
AU - Miguel Gonçalves, Carolina
AU - Vazão, Adriana
AU - Carvalho, Mariana
AU - Cabral, Margarida
AU - Martins, André
AU - Martins, Hélia
AU - Saraiva, Fátima
AU - Morais, João
AU - Dores, Hélder
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Introduction and objectives: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in athletes is a tragic event, with some evidence remaining controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate cases of SCD in athletes in Portugal within the last 20 years. Methods: An advanced Google search using a combination of several keywords and systematic searches on websites of national newspapers/television stations was conducted. Additionally, 54 Portuguese sports federations and the Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth were contacted by email and/or phone. All sports-related SCD cases in competitive athletes, occurring between 2003 and 2023 in Portugal, were included. The total number of athletes at risk used for the calculation of SCD incidence, was collected from official national records. Results: A total of 42 SCD cases in athletes were identified, with a median age of 27 [18;42] years, and the great majority were male (n=39; 93%). Most events occurred in outdoor sports (n=28; 67%), especially in football (n=13; 31%), athletics (n=4; 10%) and trail running (n=4; 10%), and during competition or training sessions (n=27; 64%). The higher number of cases were reported in 2021 and 2022, while in several years no occurrences were found. The yearly average SCD incidence was 0.39 cases per 100 000 athletes/year. Conclusions: The incidence of SCD in athletes in Portugal is very low, mainly occurring in male, outdoor sports and during competitions or training sessions. Due to the limitations of passive data collection, prospective registries are needed, with standardization of the most relevant data, especially regarding their etiology and circumstances.
AB - Introduction and objectives: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in athletes is a tragic event, with some evidence remaining controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate cases of SCD in athletes in Portugal within the last 20 years. Methods: An advanced Google search using a combination of several keywords and systematic searches on websites of national newspapers/television stations was conducted. Additionally, 54 Portuguese sports federations and the Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth were contacted by email and/or phone. All sports-related SCD cases in competitive athletes, occurring between 2003 and 2023 in Portugal, were included. The total number of athletes at risk used for the calculation of SCD incidence, was collected from official national records. Results: A total of 42 SCD cases in athletes were identified, with a median age of 27 [18;42] years, and the great majority were male (n=39; 93%). Most events occurred in outdoor sports (n=28; 67%), especially in football (n=13; 31%), athletics (n=4; 10%) and trail running (n=4; 10%), and during competition or training sessions (n=27; 64%). The higher number of cases were reported in 2021 and 2022, while in several years no occurrences were found. The yearly average SCD incidence was 0.39 cases per 100 000 athletes/year. Conclusions: The incidence of SCD in athletes in Portugal is very low, mainly occurring in male, outdoor sports and during competitions or training sessions. Due to the limitations of passive data collection, prospective registries are needed, with standardization of the most relevant data, especially regarding their etiology and circumstances.
KW - Athletes
KW - Competitive level
KW - Incidence
KW - Prevention
KW - Sudden cardiac death
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85208674863&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.repc.2024.08.010
DO - 10.1016/j.repc.2024.08.010
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85208674863
SN - 0870-2551
JO - Revista Portuguesa de Cardiologia
JF - Revista Portuguesa de Cardiologia
ER -