Cardiac pauses in competitive athletes: a systematic review examining the basis of current practice recommendations

摘要

Aims It is generally recommended that individuals aspiring to competitive sports should undergo pre-participation cardiovascular assessment, particularly including arrhythmia risk evaluation. In regard to bradyarrhythmias, the 36th Bethesda Conference suggested that asymptomatic cardiac pauses <= 3 s are 'probably of no significance', whereas longer 'symptomatic' pauses may be abnormal. This study focused on assessing the evidence for the '3 s' threshold.