Long-lasting sport practice and lone atrial fibrillation
Abstract
AIMS: To analyse whether the proportion of patients with lone atrial fibrillation engaged in chronic sport practice was higher than that observed in the general population. METHODS AND RESULTS: The records of 1160 patients, seen at the arrhythmia outpatient clinic, were reviewed. A total of 70 patients (6%) suffered lone atrial fibrillation and were younger than 65 years. Thirty two of them had been engaged in long-term sport practice. All patients in the sport group were men as compared to only 50% in the sedentary group (P<0 x 0001). To avoid the confounding effect of sex distribution, women were excluded. Sportsmen started their episodes of atrial fibrillation at a younger age, they had a lower incidence of mild hypertension and their episodes of atrial fibrillation were predominantly vagal in contrast to the sedentary patients. The echocardiographic parameters were similar to those observed in the sedentary patients, but when compared with 20 healthy controls, they showed greater atrial and ventricular dimensions and a higher ventricular mass. The proportion of sportsmen among patients with lone atrial fibrillation is much higher than that reported in the general population of Catalonia: 63% vs 15% (P<0 x 05). CONCLUSION: Long-term vigorous exercise may predispose to atrial fibrillation.
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The observation that endurance sports correlate with atrial fibrillation is generally accepted.
“Indeed, the observation that endurance sports correlate with AF is generally accepted.21”
From Risk of atrial fibrillation in athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2021) · cites this paper as [21]
Intensive sports practice, especially endurance sports (> 1500 h of endurance sports practice), increases the risk of AF later in life.
“Intensive sports practice, especially endurance sports (> 1500 h of endurance sports practice), 899 increases the risk of AF later in life, [900][901][902]”
From 2016 ESC Guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation developed in collaboration with EACTS (2016) · cites this paper as [900]
Only vigorous exertion and endurance training have been evaluated for atrial fibrillation risk, and largely only in retrospective case-control studies and case series of younger athletes and middle-aged adults.
“However, only vigorous exertion and endurance training have been evaluated, and largely only in retrospective case-control studies and case series of younger athletes and middle-aged adults.5–11”
From Physical Activity and Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation in Older Adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study (2008) · cites this paper as [7]
Vigorous exertion and endurance training have been reported to increase atrial fibrillation risk.
“Vigorous exertion and endurance training have been reported to increase atrial fibrillation (AF).”
From Physical Activity and Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation in Older Adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study (2008) · cites this paper as [7]
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- Authors
- Mont, L.
- Affiliations
- Hospital Clínic de Barcelona (ES)
- Corresponding author
- Mont, L
- ORCID
- Mont, L
- Venue
- European Heart Journal
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2002-03-15
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 477-482
- ISSN
- 0195-668X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2164300147
- Semantic Scholar
- ae41dce35dfd7f9a3a8f28b7e019c9ac2836230e
- Cited by
- 331
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 24 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 22
- FWCI
- 3.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- European Heart Journal (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Atrial Fibrillation Management and Outcomes
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiovascular Effects of Exercise
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias
- Keywords
- lone atrial fibrillation, physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, atrial fibrillation risk factors, hypertension, ventricular mass, atrial dimensions, sex differences
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Atrial Fibrillation, Echocardiography, Humans, Male, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sports
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