Optimising Screening of Intermediate to High-risk Asymptomatic Sportsmen With Exercise Electrocardiogram

Optimising Screening of Intermediate to High-risk Asymptomatic Sportsmen With Exercise Electrocardiogram. The SEEPRED Study.

The importance of exercise electrocardiogram (ECG) is still controversial in the prevention of cardiac events among sportsmen. The aim of this study was to assess the relevance of exercise electrocardiogram (ECG) as a significant prognostic marker for cardiovascular events when any cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors are present.

The SEEPRED (Sport, Exercise ECG, prediction) prospective cohort study included leisure time sportsmen over 35 years old who performed exercise electrocardiogram (ECG) screening in the Sports Medicine Unit of the University Hospital of Saint-Etienne from September 2011 to April 2016. Personal, familial history and physical examination were systematically performed before maximal exercise electrocardiogram (ECG). Cardiovascular events and changes in physical activity were searched after exercise electrocardiogram (ECG).

Inclusion criteria:

• Patients referred as asymptomatic by their general practitioner for an exercise electrocardiogram (ECG) screening test carried out as a standard procedure for resuming physical activity
• Patients referred as a systematic pre-participation screening to be declared an athlete.

Exclusion criteria:

• Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and
• Patients with uninterpretable ST segment due to bundle branch block