Konieczny K, Banks L, Osman W, Glibbery M, Connelly KA, Yan AT, Goodman JM, Dorian P. Prolonged P wave duration is associated with right atrial dimensions, but not atrial arrhythmias, in middle-aged endurance athletes.
J Electrocardiol 2019;
56:115-120. [PMID:
31394411 DOI:
10.1016/j.jelectrocard.2019.07.002]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Atrial arrhythmias occur at a higher than expected prevalence amongst endurance athletes. Few studies have examined both atrial structure and arrhythmias in middle-aged endurance athletes. We examined the relationship between P-wave duration, atrial dimensions, and the presence of atrial ectopy in long-standing, middle-aged endurance athletes.
METHODS
Middle-aged athletes with a minimum of 10 years of competitive endurance sport history and no history of structural heart disease or clinical atrial arrhythmias, had 12-lead ECGs to assess P-wave duration, signal-averaged ECGs (SAECG) to assess filtered P-wave duration, a 24 h Holter monitor to assess atrial ectopy, and echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to assess atrial structural characteristics.
RESULTS
Amongst endurance athletes (n = 104; mean age = 54 ± 5 years; 63% male), filtered P-wave duration on SAECG was correlated with P-wave duration on 12-lead ECG (r = 0.36, p, 0.0001), as well as with larger CMR-derived RA areas (r = 0.30, p = 0.01) and volumes (r = 0.24, p < 0.05). There was no correlation between filtered P-wave duration and any LA measures on imaging (p > 0.05). There was no correlation between the incidence of atrial ectopy (premature atrial contractions or atrial tachycardia) and any electrocardiographic or structural measures.
CONCLUSION
Longer filtered P-wave duration was associated with larger RA areas and volumes, without an increase in atrial ectopy.
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