Ebook: Arrhythmias and Sudden Death in Athletes

Cardiovascular diseases are the most important causes of death in the world today. In adults, the most frequent heart disease is acute myocardial infarction, which can lead to sudden death. To prevent these diseases we need to fight against their main risk factors, which include smoking, lipid disorders, hypertension, diabetes and a sedentary life-style, among others. It has been demonstrated that physical exercise or sports at any age provide notable benefits and can help to decrease other risk factors and reduce the incidence of cardio­ vascular diseases. Exercise can be simply walking or cycling. Aerobic exercise con­ tributes to weight loss and also helps to control blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes. It therefore plays an important role in prevention of heart diseases. Sports for young people are of great value and advisable not only because they con­ tribute to physical fitness but also because they help in psychological well-being. Young people should be encouraged to include general exercise, and particularly sports, into their daily activities. The following points however, should be kept in mind: I. Although winning at a sport is important, this is only so if it is achieved in natural physical conditions and with the correct training. Therefore, it is advisable to keep well away from any type of activity which artificially increases physical performance, that is, drug taking.

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With a Foreword by Juan Antonio Samaranch. Over the past several years, news media reports on sudden death in young, trained athletes have raised concern in both the medical community and the lay public. Although these events are tragic, they nevertheless bear little relation to the vast numbers of young athletes participating safely in a wide variety of sporting activities. However, the increasing interest and concern have also been instrumental in increased awareness and important research on this subject.

Arrhythmias and Sudden Death in Athletes covers much of this scientific research. It describes the scope of the problem, provides classifications, suggests treatments and offers guidelines, all from both the American and the European points of view. This book will be most useful for sports medicine physicians, cardiologists, paediatricians and geriatricians as well as other health care personnel working in the field of sports medicine, and even coaches of sportsmen who may be exposed to sudden death. It will assist them in determining when an athlete is at risk for severe cardiovascular disease, or even sudden death and what should be done for the prevention of this sort of heart complication.