Electrocardiographic right and left bundle branch block patterns in athletes: Prevalence, pathology, and clinical significance

Abstract Differentiating benign electrocardiographic (ECG) patterns in athletes from those representative of underlying cardiac pathology is both clinically relevant and challenging. Complete right (RBBB) and left (LBBB) bundle branch block are relatively rare in asymptomatic athletic populations, a...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of electrocardiology 2015-05, Vol.48 (3), p.380-384
Main Authors: Kim, Jonathan H., MD, Baggish, Aaron L., MD
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Athlete
Athletes - statistics & numerical data
Bundle branch block
Bundle-Branch Block - diagnosis
Bundle-Branch Block - mortality
Cardiovascular
Child
Comorbidity
Death, Sudden, Cardiac - epidemiology
Death, Sudden, Cardiac - prevention & control
Diagnostic Tests, Routine - statistics & numerical data
Early Diagnosis
ECG
Electrocardiography - methods
Electrocardiography - statistics & numerical data
Evidence-Based Medicine
Female
Humans
Incidence
Male
Mandatory Testing - statistics & numerical data
Mass Screening - statistics & numerical data
Prevalence
Prognosis
Reproducibility of Results
Risk Assessment - methods
Risk Factors
Screening
Sensitivity and Specificity
Survival Rate
Young Adult
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract Differentiating benign electrocardiographic (ECG) patterns in athletes from those representative of underlying cardiac pathology is both clinically relevant and challenging. Complete right (RBBB) and left (LBBB) bundle branch block are relatively rare in asymptomatic athletic populations, and current expert consensus guidelines recommend further clinical investigation upon detection of either ECG pattern. However, present data suggest that typical RBBB is not associated with structural cardiac pathology and may alternatively represent an ECG marker of exercise-induced right ventricular remodeling. In accordance with current guidelines, the presence of asymptomatic LBBB in athletes is not associated with normal exercise physiology and more likely indicative of underlying cardiac pathology. While long-term outcomes for asymptomatic athletes with RBBB or LBBB remain unknown, current evidence regarding these ECG patterns should be considered to improve the specificity of future athlete-specific ECG interpretation guidelines.
ISSN:0022-0736
1532-8430
DOI:10.1016/j.jelectrocard.2015.03.015