Electrocardiogram of Brazilian Elite Football Players: Filling a Gap

Introduction

The sudden death of a young, apparently healthy athlete is a tragedy, and the true incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD) among athletes is controversial. Although estimates from studies in the United States and Europe are limited by various methodological issues, it is known that physical exertion in sports activity and training poses a 2.5 to 4.5 times higher risk of sudden cardiac arrest and SCD in relation to non-athletes and recreational athletes.^–On the other hand, a consistent finding across studies is that male athletes have a three to five times higher incidence of SCD than female athletes.

Over the past few decades, much has been discussed about the role of the resting 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) in preventing SCD in young athletes. Studies carried out in different parts of the world have been published, and expert consensuses have been developed to standardize a very peculiar type of ECG.^–

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