The proportion of sport activity among patients with LAF was significantly higher than among men from the general population in Catalonia (62.7% vs 15.4%). Our group analysed 1160 consecutive patients seen at the Outpatient Arrhythmia Clinic between October 1997 and March 1999. LAF was diagnosed in 12 of 228 (5.3%) orienteers and in 2 of 212 (0.9%) controls (who also engaged in vigorous exercise) (p=0.012), the relative risk being 5.5 (95% CI 1.3 to 24.4) in orienteers. They evaluated AF prevalence in veteran male orienteers and in a matched control group. In 1998, Karjalainen et al 9 concluded that vigorous long-term exercise is associated with AF in healthy middle-aged men. Several studies have described a relationship between long-term endurance sport practice and AF and AFl 9–20 ( table 1). This article discusses the prevalence of AF and AFl, pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical presentation and treatment strategies in endurance athletes. 5, 6Īlthough benefits of regular exercise on reduction of the risks of cardiovascular diseases have been demonstrated, 7, 8 there is growing evidence that long-term endurance exercise may increase the risk of developing AF and atrial flutter (AFl) in middle-aged populations. 4 The reported prevalence of LAF varies from 2% to 50%, depending on the chosen study population with AF. These patients are considered to suffer from ‘lone’ AF (LAF). However, in a subset of patients with AF younger than 60 years, routine evaluation including physical examination, laboratory tests including thyroid function, echocardiography and exercise stress testing does not reveal any cardiovascular disease or any other known causal factor. 2 Several cardiac and non-cardiac conditions, including age, structural heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hyperthyroidism, 3 have been described as risk factors for developing AF. The prevalence of AF among men below 40 years of age in the general population is 0.5%, 1 and increases to 8% in those above 80 years. This review article is intended to analyse the prevalence of AF and AFl, the pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for the association between endurance sport practice and AF or AFl and the recommended therapeutic options in endurance athletes.Ītrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinically significant cardiac arrhythmia in clinical practice. Recent studies suggest that long-term endurance exercise may increase the incidence of AF and atrial flutter (AFl) in this population.
![endurance catheter endurance catheter](https://champcohen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ArrowEnduranceBrochshutterstock_716083378.jpg)
This condition, termed as lone AF, may be responsible for as many as 30% of patients with paroxysmal AF seeking medical attention.
![endurance catheter endurance catheter](https://img.medicalexpo.fr/images_me/photo-g/71108-10607058.jpg)
However, the mechanisms underlying the initiation of AF in patients below 60 years of age, in whom no cardiovascular disease or any other known causal factor is present, remain to be clarified. The recognised risk factors for developing AF include age, structural heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus or hyperthyroidism. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice, with an estimated prevalence of 0.4% to 1% in the general population, increasing with age to 8% in those above 80 years.