PMID- 15181396
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20040806
LR  - 20170126
IS  - 0022-4707 (Print)
IS  - 0022-4707 (Linking)
VI  - 44
IP  - 1
DP  - 2004 Mar
TI  - Vigorous exercise training is not associated with prevalence of ventricular 
      arrhythmias in elderly athletes.
PG  - 92-7
AB  - AIM: Physical activity, when vigorous, is not devoided of arrhythmic risk. Since 
      the risk of developing arrhythmias increase as an otherwise healthy person ages, 
      the question arises as to whether high intensity physical activity could be 
      dangerous in the elderly person. The present study addressed the incidence of 
      arrhythmias in elderly athletes in comparison to age-matched control subjects. 
      METHODS: We studied 49 male athletes engaged in various sport disciplines, mean 
      age 62.3+/-2.3 and 24 sedentary or moderately physically active healthy males, 
      mean age 62.9+/-1.7 years (Controls). All subjects underwent 2-D, M-mode and 
      Doppler echocardiographic examination, resting ECG and exercise stress test 
      followed by 24-hour electrocardiographic monitoring. RESULTS: No pathological 
      findings were detected in both experimental groups at echocardiographic 
      examination. Exercise performance was greater in athletes than controls 
      (206.9+/-5.2 vs 156.3+/-12 watt, p<0.01). During exercise test, no significant 
      between-groups difference was detected in the incidence of ventricular 
      arrhythmias, that is multiple premature ventricular contractions (MPVC), 
      polymorphous premature ventricular contractions (PPVC) and repetitive premature 
      ventricular contractions (RPVC). No subject featured horizontal or downsloping ST 
      segment depression in both groups. At 24-hour electrocardiographic monitoring the 
      incidence of the overall number of premature ventricular contractions was 
      significantly greater in controls than athletes (87.0% vs 63.3%, p<0.05), whereas 
      no significant difference were detected in the incidence of discrete ventricular 
      arrhythmias between athletes (4.1% MPVC, 14.3% PPVC, 8.2% couplets) and controls 
      (0.5% MPVC, 16.7% PPVC, 12.5% couplets). CONCLUSION: These finding indicate that 
      in elderly, otherwise healthy, athletes vigorous training even to competition 
      does not result in a greater incidence of ventricular arrhythmias, although 
      caution should be made for a careful preparticipation evaluation.
FAU - Pigozzi, F
AU  - Pigozzi F
AD  - University Institute of Movement Sciences of Rome, Rome, Italy. medsporm@iusm.it
FAU - Alabiso, A
AU  - Alabiso A
FAU - Parisi, A
AU  - Parisi A
FAU - Di Salvo, V
AU  - Di Salvo V
FAU - Di Luigi, L
AU  - Di Luigi L
FAU - Iellamo, F
AU  - Iellamo F
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - Italy
TA  - J Sports Med Phys Fitness
JT  - The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness
JID - 0376337
SB  - IM
MH  - Age Factors
MH  - Aged
MH  - Arrhythmias, Cardiac/diagnosis/*epidemiology/etiology
MH  - Echocardiography
MH  - Electrocardiography, Ambulatory
MH  - Exercise/*physiology
MH  - Exercise Test
MH  - Heart Ventricles/*physiopathology
MH  - Humans
MH  - Incidence
MH  - Male
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - Prevalence
MH  - Risk Factors
MH  - Sports/physiology
MH  - Tachycardia, Ventricular/diagnosis/epidemiology/etiology
EDAT- 2004/06/08 05:00
MHDA- 2004/08/07 05:00
CRDT- 2004/06/08 05:00
PHST- 2004/06/08 05:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2004/08/07 05:00 [medline]
PHST- 2004/06/08 05:00 [entrez]
PST - ppublish
SO  - J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2004 Mar;44(1):92-7.