Prevalence Of Chronic And Mental Health Diseases In High Performance Athletes In Chile

The current literature is scarce regarding the prevalence of chronic and mental diseases in high performance athletes, and even scarcer in paralympic athletes. The diagnostic and treatment of diseases in competitive athletes represent an important responsibility and challenge for the health team that evaluates them constantly and comprehensively. PURPOSE: Describe and estimate the prevalence of chronic diseases and mental health diseases in high performance athletes in Chile. METHODS: An interview that collected information about the presence of chronic and mental diseases was applied to high performance athletes over eighteen years old. The data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and association analysis. RESULTS: 123 athletes; 76,4% conventional athletes and 23,4% paralympic athletes. Cardiovascular/metabolic diseases: 0,8% arrhythmia, 0,16% hypertension and 0,8% hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Respiratory diseases: 3,2% asthma, 0,8% exercise-induced bronchoconstriction and 8,1% allergic rhinitis. Gastrointestinal diseases: 0,8% inflammatory bowel disease, 0,32% alimentary intolerance, 0,16% gastroesophageal reflux disease and 3,2% irritable bowel syndrome. Endocrinologic diseases: 2,4% hypothyroidism and 1,6% polycystic ovary syndrome. Autoimmune diseases: 0,8% arthritis and 0,8% psoriasis. Mental health diseases: 0,8% post traumatic stress disorder, 7,2% anxiety disorder, 8% sleep disorders and 3,2% major depressive disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Mental health diseases are more prevalent than other types of diseases in high performance athletes, data that coincide with the literature and current evidence.