Clinical Perspectives Athletes and arrhythmias: clinical considerations

and perspectives Arrhythmias in athletes is a problem about which the public has become acutely aware through the tragic deaths of famous sports persons. These events have raised questions on how to recognize athletes at risk for arrhythmias and how to prevent sudden cardiac death in these people. More and more physicians are confronted with these questions as increasing numbers of men and women participate in sports. Originating either from the atrium or ven-tricle, arrhythmias in athletes are mostly unrelated to structural heart disease. Symptoms include palpitations, dizziness, dyspnoea, seizure and syn-cope, even sudden cardiac death, and are mostly due to tachycardias. Bradycardias in athletes are mos