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Review
. 2022 Oct 20;14(10):e30517.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.30517. eCollection 2022 Oct.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Athletes: A Primary Level of Prevention

Keerthana Prakash  1 , Kiran Maee Swarnakari  1 , Meena Bai  1 , Mohana Priya Manoharan  1 , Rabab Raja  1 , Aneeque Jamil  1 , Denise Csendes  1 , Sai Dheeraj Gutlapalli  1 , Aditya Desai  1   2 , Darshi M Desai  1 , Pousette Hamid  3
Affiliations
Review

Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Athletes: A Primary Level of Prevention

Keerthana Prakash et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Primary prevention of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) refers to the use of pharmacological or interventional therapy and healthy lifestyle modifications to prevent sudden cardiac death (SCD) in patients who have not experienced symptomatic, life-threatening persistent ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation or SCA but are considered to be at a higher risk. This review provides an overview of the physiological heart changes and distinct electrical manifestations, the etiology of SCA, and screening methods and interventions for the prevention of SCA in athletes. The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association (AHA) Guidelines recommend screening with a 14-point history and physical examination. In most cases, a thorough clinical evaluation along with an ECG is sufficient for screening. Athletes with heart diseases leading to SCD are urged not to compete. Further decisions are taken following the European Society of Cardiology and the AHA's current workout recommendations. Early detection of cardiac disease allows for individualized risk evaluation and treatment, which has been shown to reduce mortality rates in athletes.

Keywords: athletes; prevention; screening; sports; sudden cardiac arrest.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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