Download Athletes and Sudden Cardiac Death

ATHLETES AND SUDDEN
CARDIAC DEATH
Eli M Friedman, MD
Cardiovascular Diseases Fellow, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Director Rapid Response Team and Finish Line Medical Care, Pittsburgh Marathon
Disclosures
None
Case 1
26 year old professional Cameroonian soccer player
collapses on the field while playing in a match
Case 2
• 25 year old healthy white male, multiple long distance
races, starts the Pittsburgh Marathon…
Overview
• History
• Incidence
• Etiology
• Running and Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD)
• Cardiac versus others
• NCAA and SCD
• ECG screening
• Implantable Cardio Defibrilators (ICDs) and sports participation
History
• Pheidippides
• Inspiration for marathon
• Ran from Marathon to Athens to deliver news of a Greek
military victory against the Persians at the Battle of
Marathon
• Suddenly collapsed and died
Incidence of SCD
• 2.3-4.4/100,000 in American athletes
• 3.6/100,000 prior to screening laws in Italy
• Now 0.3/100,000
• 5.6/100,000 in Black athletes
• College:
• 1/54,000 athletes/year during or soon after exertion
• 1 in 38,000 male; 1 in 122,000 female exertion-related
• 1 in 22,000 Black; 1 in 68,000 White
• Compare
• 5/100,000 homicides in the US each year (CDC)
• 10.2/100,000 motor vehicle deaths in 2014 in the US (IIHS)
Hainline, B., Drezner, J., Baggish, A., et al. Interassociation consensus statement on cardiovascular care of student-athletes. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2016 Jun 28;67(25):2981-95.
Steinvil et al. Mandatory electrocardiographic screening to reduce their risk of sudden death. JACC. 2011; 57: 1291-1296
Etiology
Marathons and SCD
Marathons and Half Marathons from 2000-2010
Marathons and SCD
• 59 cardiac arrests
• 40 marathons, 19 half
• Mean age 42 +/- 13 years
• 51/59 (86%) men
• Incidence of 0.54/100,000
• 1.01/100,000 for marathons
• Male marathon runners at highest risk
• 1.41/100,000
Marathons and SCD
• 42/59 (71%) died
• Only 31/59 had an identifiable cause
• 23 of these runners died
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), 8/23
• “Possible” HCM 7/23
• Other causes hyperthermia, hyponatremia, arrhythmogenic
right ventricular dysplasia
• Myocardial ischemia most common amongst survivors, 5/8
Marathons and SCD
• What led to positive outcomes?
• Strongest predictors were bystander CPR and diagnosis
other than HCM
• Completed more distance races
• More likely to have CAD risk factor
• Survivors OLDER
• 53.1 +/- 6 versus 33.9 +/- 9.5
Marathons and SCD
So…
• More high risk men running?
• Study showed incidence rate increasing
• Overall case fatality rate 71%
• Favorable comparison to general population SCD
• More “help” around
• Myocardial ischemia, not acute plaque rupture ACS responsible
(i.e. Supply-demand mismatch)
• Would screening stress tests help in the appropriate population?
Hyperthermia and SCD
Hyperthermia and SCD
• All long distance races in Tel Aviv, Israel 2007-2013
• 137,580 runners
• 2 Serious cardiac events
• 1 MI, 1 unstable SVT
• 21 serious cases of Heat Stroke
• 2 fatal, 12 life threatening
• 1 serious cardiac event for every 10 serious heat events
NCAA and SCD
NCAA and SCD
• Emergency Action Plan
• CPR training and AED availability
• Establish a national registry
• Pre-participation evaluation with ECG screening IF able to
be done “right”
Screening and ECGs
• In the USA
• American Heart Association 14 point screen
Screening and ECGs
Personal history
1. Exertional chest pain/discomfort
2. Unexplained syncope/near-syncope
3. Excessive exertional and unexplained dyspnea/fatigue, associated with exercise
4. Prior recognition of a heart murmur
5. Elevated systemic blood pressure
6. Prior sport restriction
7. Prior cardiac testing
Family history
8. Premature death before age 50 years due to heart disease in ≥1 relative
9. Disability from heart disease in a close relative <50 years of age
10. Specific knowledge of certain cardiac conditions in family members: hypertrophic or
dilated cardiomyopathy, long-QT syndrome or other ion channelopathies, Marfan syndrome,
or clinically important arrhythmias
Physical examination
11. Heart murmur
12. Femoral pulses to exclude aortic coarctation
13. Physical stigmata of Marfan syndrome
14. Brachial artery blood pressure (sitting position)
Screening and ECGs
• Europe, Israel and International Olympic Committee
• Add ECG
Why the ECG Debate?
• Italian study
• 1979-1980, 3.6/100,000 incidence of SCD in Italy
• Mandatory screening ECG for all athletes enacted
• SCD fell to 0.3/100,000 in 2003-2004
• Criminal laws against physicians
Steinvil et al. Mandatory electrocardiographic screening to reduce their risk of sudden death. JACC. 2011; 57: 1291-1296
Screening and ECGs
NCAA Data, >5,200 athletes
Hainline et al. JACC. 2016; 67 (25): 2981-2995
Why the ECG Debate?

Steinvil et al. Mandatory Electrocradiographic Screening of Athletes to Reduce Their Risk for Sudden Death. JACC. 2011;57:1291-1296
ICDs and Sports Participation
• “For athletes with ICDs, all moderate and high intensity
sports are contraindicated. Class IA sports are permitted.”
• 36th Bethesda Conference
ICDs and Sports Participation
• ICD Sports Safety Registry
• Patients with ICDs, 10-60 years old and participating in
organized sports
• More vigorous than golf or bowling
• 372 total patients (long QT, HOCM, ARVD)
• Participating in running, basketball, soccer, skiing
Lampert R et al. Safety of Sports for Athletes With Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators: Results of a Prospective, Multinational Registry. Circulation. 2013; 127:2021-203
ICDs and Sports Participation
• Median 31 month follow up
• No deaths or resuscitated arrhythmias
• 10% had shocks during competition or practice
• 8% during other physical activity
• 6% at rest
• 97% free from lead malfunction at 5 years, 90% at 10
Lampert R et al. Safety of Sports for Athletes With Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators: Results of a Prospective, Multinational Registry. Circulation. 2013; 127:2021-2030
ICDs and Sports Participation
• 13% had at least 1 appropriate shock
• 11% had at least 1 inappropriate shock
ICDs and Sports Participation
Lampert R et al. Safety of Sports for Athletes With Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators: Results of a Prospective, Multinational Registry. Circulation. 2013; 127:2021-2030
Conclusion
• SCD in athletes is a rare, but highly visible event
• Early recognition and rapid response are key
• Diverse range of causes
• May be preventable in some cases
• Increasing awareness and increasing controversy
Thank
you!
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