title: T wave inversions in athletes: a variety of scenarios.
abstract: Athletic intensive exercise is associated with repolarization changes affecting the ST-segment and T-wave morphology. The prevalence and distribution of these alterations are influenced by several demographic factors. One of the most challenging conundrums for both the cardiologist and the sports medicine physician is the correct interpretation of these repolarization changes to prevent an erroneous diagnosis with potentially serious consequences. A 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) demonstrating inverted T-waves may represent the first and only sign of such inherited heart muscle diseases, and may precede the detection of any structural changes in the heart, however, T-wave inversion in leads V1-V4 in black athletes may represent ethnic variation which is exaggerated by exercise.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Cardiology Division, and Exercise Cardiology Research Group (CardioEx), Vitta Centro de Bem Estar Físico, Porto Alegre, Brazil. Electronic address: rstein@cardiol.br.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.affiliation: St. George's University of London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Aneil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malhotra
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D056352:Athletes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology*; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D038622:Internationality; D008297:Male; D018580:Mandatory Testing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D013177:Sports; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Electrocardiogram; Intense athletic exercise; T-wave morphology