title: Lack of correlation between ventricular late potentials and left ventricular mass in top-level male athletes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to establish: 1) the prevalence of abnormal signal-averaged electrocardiogram (SAECG) in a large population of top-level athletes and 2) the relationship between SAECG parameters and left ventricular mass. One-hundred and fifty-three elite male athletes without apparent heart disease, symptoms, or arrhythmias were studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-six athletes (37%) had increased left ventricular mass (> 134 g.m(-2)). All athletes underwent time-domain SAECG on 300-400 heart beats recorded at rest from three bipolar orthogonal tests with a filter setting of 40-250 Hz. Criteria for abnormality were 1) filtered QRS duration > 114 ms, 2) duration of low-amplitude signals > 38 ms, or 3) root mean square voltage of the last 40 ms of the filtered QRS < 20 microV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of abnormal SAECG was 7.2% (abnormality of one parameter), 6.5% (abnormality of two parameters), and 5.8%(abnormality of three parameters). The prevalence of abnormal SAECG was similar in athletes with or without increased left ventricular mass.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, this study showed: 1) the low rate of positive results of SAECG parameters in top-level male athletes, similar to that found in healthy sedentary subjects; and 2) the lack of correlation between left ventricular mass and overall SAECG parameters.
authors: Department of Medicine, Institute of Sports Science, Italian National Olympic Committee, and San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Biffi
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Verdile
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Ansalone
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Spataro
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Spada
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Fernando
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Caselli
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Santini
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000328:Adult; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology*; D016276:Ventricular Function