Harmful effects of exercise on cardiac function and arrhythmic outcome in patients at risk
The benefits of physical activity are well established, but growing evidence suggests that sustained and vigorous endurance exercise may increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmias. Cardiac arrest in an otherwise healthy young individual is a particularly feared example.
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, an inheritable heart disease, is the most common cause of cardiac arrest in athletes in our part of the world and is aggravated by exposure to exercise training. Emerging data even suggest that high cumulative exercise exposure is associated with cardiac arrhythmias in otherwise healthy individuals, giving rise to the clinical entity known as "exercise-induced arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy”. The overall aim of this project is to increase knowledge about management and risk stratification in athletes with ventricular arrhythmias and patients with exercise intolerance.
Publications
- Progression of myocardial dysfunction and prediction of arrhythmic events in patients with exercise-induced arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (Link to publication)
Contributions
- EHRA 2023: Disease progression in exercise-induced compared to desmosomal arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy - a longitudinal cohort study (Link to publication)
Researchers involved
- Linda T. Aaserud, MD/PhD-fellow, OUS
- Project leader and main supervisor: Øyvind Lie, MD/PhD, OUS
- Co-supervisor: Kristina Haugaa, MD/Professor, OUS/UiO