{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.02135678391959799, 'fraction_numerical': 0.005653266331658292, 'mean_word_length': 5.502040816326531, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Sudden cardiac death in athletes: implications for pre-participation evaluation and safety in sport arenas

Physical activity is an invaluable tool to fight cardiovascular disease, but sudden death (SD) in athletes has catastrophic effects at an individual level, and also at a social level. Although the incidence of SD remains rather low in athletes (in the range of 0.5–2 events per 100,000 participants), there are some data suggesting that the risk could be higher in athletes than in sedentary individuals. A large study conducted in the Veneto region in Italy suggested that athletes are at an increased risk of SD; however, conflicting data has been published in Denmark and Israel. Most athletes who die suddenly present with a previously unknown cardiac condition, most commonly hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in American series or arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy in some European studies. Other causes of SD include coronary congenital abnormalities, valve disease, or commotio cordis. Based on these data, efforts have been undertaken to reduce the impact of SD in athletes. First, pre-participation screening programmes including a clinical history, physical examination, and an electrocardiogram aim for the early detection of cardiac conditions causing SD. Remarkably, concerns about the efficiency of such a protocol have been raised. Second, a quick response to a cardiac arrest may also save lives; training personnel in cardiac resuscitation and readily available automated external defibrillation equipment may critically influence outcomes in this situation.