Prevalence of risk factors for sudden cardiac death in competitive South African student athletes

Due to the increasing incidence of sudden cardiac death in athletes, there is an increasing need to adequately pre-screen and identify athletes at risk for cardiac events/disease. Sixty University of Johannesburg (UJ) athletes were drawn randomly from the UJ athletic department (30 males and 30 females) and analyzed using personal and family history, physical examination (including blood pressure, fasting cholesterol and glucose measures) and 12-lead resting electrocardiography to detect pre-existing cardiac risk or disease. The study detected that cardiac risk factors were present in 29 participants (48.35%) of which 18 were female and 11 male. Irregular heart rhythms were the most prevalent cardiac risk in both males and females with a family history of cardiovascular disease the second most prevalent amongst both males and females. Significant correlations were found between gender and family history of cardiovascular disease (r = 0.377; p = 0.008) and gender and tachyarrythmias (r = - 0.364; p = 0.012). Although participation in sport represents a cardioprotective benefit it does not preclude the prevalence of risk factors and disease in athletes. The study indicates that pre-participation screening may prove to be an integral intervention strategy to minimize the incidence of sudden cardiac death in athletes but should be used with caution especially pertaining to the reliability of ECG interpretations. Keywords: Cardiovascular disease, college, medical history, sudden cardiac death, sport.