PREVALENCE OF ASYMPTOMTIC VENTRICULAR PREEXCITATION AMONG GEORGIAN ATHLETES

The aim of the study was to analyze the prevalence of asymptomatic VPP among young athletes when the screening protocol includes both resting and exercise ECG and determine the role of stress ESG testing in the detection of VPP among asymptomatic athletes. We conducted a cross-sectional retrospective study of 15.187 young Georgian athletes from 12 to 25 who underwent cardiac preparticipation screening at the TSMU Clinical Center of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation from 2010 to 2019. From these 15187 subjects we analyzed rest and exercise ECGs of athletes referred to an electrophysiologist and identified 25 athletes among them with asymptomatic VPP. All ECGs (rest and exercise) with a diagnosis of asymptomatic VPP were included in the present study (athletes with manifested WPW were excluded from our study). Among these 15.187 athletes, VPP has been found in 25 (0.16%) male athletes (none of them had structural heart or genetic abnormalities). Mean age was 16 ± 1.2 years. From these 25 asymptomatic athletes 9 (36%) manifested preexcitation during exercise (Group1). 16 (64%) patients had preexcitation during rest: complete normalization of the QRS complex occured in 4 (16%) patients (Group 2); exercise produced no change in preexcitation in 7 or partial normalization of the QRS complex in 5 (total 12 (48%) - Group 3). The prevalence for asymptomatic VPP is 0.16% (1.6 per 1000 young athletes). Cardiac screening in the young athletic cohort may uncover pre-excitation. Evidence of an AP is significant even if the individual is asymptomatic at the time. The condition is potentially lethal if unrecognized but is amenable to a safe and permanent cure once diagnosed. Exercise testing can unmask intermittent ventricular preexcitation in asymptomatic athletes and can be effectively used to stratify risk in asymptomatic athletes with VPP.