The early repolarization pattern was present in 27% of adolescent athletes, demonstrating gender-specific phenotypic differences but no differences in arrhythmias during maximal exercise testing.
Cross-Sectional
Does the early repolarization pattern present differently by gender in adolescent athletes, and is it associated with arrhythmias?
Early repolarization pattern is a common, benign finding in adolescent athletes (27% prevalence) that exhibits distinct gender-specific morphological differences but is not associated with increased arrhythmias during exercise.
BACKGROUND: The early repolarization pattern (ERp) is an electrocardiographic finding previously associated with arrhythmic risk in adults. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of ERp in a group of adolescent athletes according to gender. Furthermore, potential associations with clinical, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic parameters are explored. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study young athletes (age < 18 years) were consecutively enrolled during the annual pre-participation evaluation, undergoing also transthoracic echocardiography assessment from January 2015 to March 2020. RESULTS: The prevalence of ERp was 27% in the whole population. Athletes with ERp were more frequently men practicing endurance sports. Women with ERp showed lower heart rate at rest, greater posterior, and relative ventricular wall thickness than those without ERp. Men with ERp presented higher systolic blood pressure at peak exercise, greater septal wall thickness, and indexed left ventricular mass than those without ERp. Both genders with ERp showed increased QRS voltage and narrower QRS duration. The ERp phenotype in men was more frequently notched with higher amplitude and ascending ST segment. Women's ERp presented more frequently a slurred morphology, especially in the inferior leads, and horizontal ST slope. No differences emerged in the occurrence of arrhythmias at rest and during maximal exercise test between groups, even considering higher risk phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS: ERp is an ECG finding compatible with normal cardiac adaptations to training in young athletes. ERp demonstrated gender differences regarding phenotypes previously associated with increased cardiovascular risk, not showing any differences in arrhythmias during maximal exercise test.
Vecchiato et al. (Sat,) conducted a cross-sectional in Adolescent athletes. Early repolarization pattern (ERp) vs. Athletes without ERp was evaluated on Prevalence of ERp and occurrence of arrhythmias. The early repolarization pattern was present in 27% of adolescent athletes, demonstrating gender-specific phenotypic differences but no differences in arrhythmias during maximal exercise testing.