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Aims Intensive and repetitive athletic training may result in cardiac geometric changes, but the determinants of left atrial (LA) enlargement (LAE) has been poorly studied. We investigated incidence and determinants of LAE and its association with LA strains in highly trained university athletes. Methods and results A total of 1073 athletes (451 females, 22.4 ± 2.4 years old) who were able to measure LA size, volume, and strains during 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade were enrolled. LAE was defined as the increased LA volume index > 42 mL/m2. LA strains, reservoir, conduit, and contractile were measured by 2D speckle tracking method, and LA reservoir strain < 27.6% was considered as abnormal. LAE was developed in 205 athletes (19.1%). In univariate analysis, male [odds ratio (OR) = 1.679], Caucasian (OR = 1.746), non-African descent (OR = 1.804), body muscle mass (OR = 1.056), body fat mass (OR = 0.962), systolic blood pressure (OR = 1.012), heart rate (OR = 0.980), sports type with cardiovascular (CV) demand (OR = 1.474), training time (OR = 1.011), left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (LVGLS, OR = 0.906), and LV stroke volume (LVSV, OR = 1.044) were significantly associated with LAE. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, heart rate (OR = 0.961) and sports type with CV demand (OR = 1.299), LVGLS (OR = 0.865) and LVSV (OR = 1.013) were independent determinants of LAE. Abnormal LA reservoir strain was noted in 56 athletes (5.2%), and the incidence of abnormal value was not different between two groups; 42 athletes (4.8%) in LAE vs. 14 (6.8%) in no LAE group (P  = 0.293). Conclusion LAE was common in university athletes (19.1%) and associated with heart rate, sports type with CV demand, LVGLS, and LVSV. Although LAE was significantly associated with the lower LA reservoir strain, the incidence of abnormal value was very low (5.2%) and indifferent between LAE and no LAE group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims There is a paucity of data regarding the changes of cardiac geometry in highly trained international and multiracial university athletes. We aimed to investigate the incidence of structural cardiac abnormalities and changes of cardiac geometry in highly trained university athletes. Methods and results Comprehensive echocardiographic studies were performed in 1185 university athletes through the Check-up Your Heart Program during the 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade. Participants were divided into two groups: normal vs. abnormal left ventricular (LV) geometry (concentric remodelling, concentric hypertrophy, or eccentric hypertrophy). Structural heart diseases associated with sudden cardiac death were not identified, but minor structural cardiac abnormalities were common in university athletes. One hundred and fifty-six athletes (13.2%) had abnormal LV geometry; concentric remodelling (n  = 73, 6.2%), concentric hypertrophy (n  = 25, 2.1%), and eccentric hypertrophy (n  = 58, 4.9%). Abnormal LV geometry was significantly more common in athletes of African descent and in endurance, mixed, or power disciplines. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, athletes of African descent [odds ratio (OR) 2.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.34–3.46; P  = 0.001], endurance disciplines (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.26–2.54; P  = 0.001), and training time (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00–1.02; P  = 0.045) were independent predictors of abnormal LV geometry. Conclusion A large scale cardiovascular screening programme of the 2015 Summer Universiade demonstrated that abnormal LV geometry is not uncommon (13.2%) and concentric remodelling is the most common pattern of LV geometric change in young trained university athletes. Race, type of sport, and training time are significant predictors of abnormal LV geometry. Structural cardiac abnormalities are common in university athletes even though they are minor abnormalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of electrocardiographic (ECG) findings suggestive of sudden cardiac death risk in apparently healthy young Korean men. We administered questionnaires that elicited personal and family histories and performed ECGs on 10,867 male subjects (mean age, 20.9 years). The subjects with abnormal ECG findings underwent echocardiography, a treadmill test, Holter monitoring, a flecainide provocation test, or an electrophysiologic study (EPS) according to the ECG findings and histories. Of the subjects, 5.95% had left ventricular hypertrophy on ECG, but no subjects had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy by echocardiography. The percentage of subjects with a Brugada ECG pattern was 0.90%. We identified one subject with a positive result on the flecainide provocation test. The percentage of subjects with a preexcitation ECG was 0.17%. In two of the subjects, supraventricular tachycardia was induced in the EPS. Of the subjects, 0.05% had epsilon waves, but there were no subjects with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy by echocardiography. The percentage of subjects with long QT intervals was 0.02%, but there were no arrhythmias on the treadmill test or Holter monitoring. The prevalence of a Brugada ECG pattern in apparently healthy young men is higher in Korea than other countries. (PACE 2011; 1-7) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mortality is very high in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS) or cardiac arrest despite intensive use of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Although current guidelines still recommend rapid revascularization in these high-risk patients, several studies showed the benefit of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)-assisted PCI. Hypothesis: ECMO support before revascularization might be beneficial in patients with AMI complicated by profound CS after resuscitated cardiac arrest. Methods: Among 116,374 patients experiencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in all emergency medical service of South Korea between 2013 and 2016, a total of 147 resuscitated patients with AMI complicated by profound CS who were treated with both PCI and ECMO were enrolled. Exclusion criteria were as follows: non-cardiac arrest, duration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation < 20 minutes, patients without restoration of spontaneous circulation, patients treated with thrombolysis, patients who did not receive PCI, patients did not receive ECMO treatment, and cases of failed PCI. Enrolled patients were divided into two groups according to timing of ECMO; pre-PCI ECMO group (n = 82) vs. post-PCI ECMO group (n = 65). We compared 30-day mortality between two groups. Results: Age and proportion of male gender were similar between 2 groups. The rate of bystander CPR (29.3% vs. 29.2%, p = 0.996) and shockable rhythm at emergency room (26.8% vs. 26.2%, p = 0.927) were also comparable in 2 groups. Although total duration of CPR was similar between 2 groups (57.4±27.6 vs. 52.0±28.8 minutes, p = 0.313), door to revascularization time was significantly longer in pre-PCI ECMO group than post-PCI ECMO group (123.7±57.6 vs. 105.5±39.1 minutes, p = 0.030). At 30-days, overall mortality was 80.3% (118 patients) in study population, and it was significantly lowered in pre-PCI ECMO group (72.0% vs. 90.8%, p = 0.004). In multivariate Cox-regression analysis, pre-PCI ECMO reduced 30-day mortality compared to post-PCI ECMO (hazard ratio [HR] 0.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.47-0.98, p = 0.041). Bystander CPR , shockable rhythm at emergency room and successful therapeutic hypothermia were also associated with reduced 30-day mortality. Conclusions: ECMO treatment before PCI was associated with reduced 30-day mortality compared to ECMO after revascularization in patients with AMI complicated by profound CS after resuscitated cardiac arrest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]