title: Sudden cardiac death in young competitive athletes due to genetic cardiac abnormalities.
abstract: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young athletes is generally caused by inherited cardiac disorders. While these events are relatively few compared to other cardiac deaths, they are tragic in that death occurs in a young, otherwise healthy person. The genetic abnormalities most associated with SCD are hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. As a result of growing awareness that these deaths can be prevented, guidelines have been issued in both Europe and the United States to help screen and determine qualification for young persons who want to participate in competitive athletics. There remains debate on the how extensive screening should be, in particular over the use of the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), with European guidelines mandating ECG and United States guidelines not recommending routine use of the ECG.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, St Luke's - Roosevelt Hospital Center Columbia University, College of Physicians & Surgeons New York City, NY 10019, USA.
authors.forename: Omar E
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Wever-Pinzon
authors.forename: Merle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Myerson
authors.forename: Mark V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Sherrid
mesh_terms: D019571:Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D056352:Athletes; D053840:Brugada Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics