Treatment of athletes with cardiac disease or arrhythmias

Ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in the athlete are uncommon but extremely visible because of the high profile of amateur and professional athletes. In athletes under the age of 30 years, the incidence of sudden death is low and in most cases occurs in individuals with inherited heart disease. In the older athlete, sudden death is more common and is generally due to arrhythmias in the context of coronary artery disease. Many athletes with aborted sudden death, arrhythmia-related syncope, or high-risk genetic disorders benefit from therapy with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). Although ICD therapy can effectively abort sudden death, implantation of an ICD generally prohibits an individual from all competitive athletics except low-intensity sports. Recommendations for participation in competitive athletics generally follow the recently published 36th Bethesda Conference Eligibility Recommendations for Competitive Athletes with Cardiovascular Abnormalities.