Myocardial fibrosis and its relationship with ventricular arrhythmias and reduced ventricular systolic function in young and veteran endurance athletes
Middle-aged athletes more frequently exhibit myocardial fibrosis than young athletes and middle-aged non-athletes. Non-hinge-point fibrosis is present in up to one-fifth of middle-aged athletes and predictive of a higher burden of both unifocal and multifocal ventricular ectopy. Reduced systolic function is more prevalent in athletes and not predicted by fibrosis.
Authors
- Kaatje Goetschalckx (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5419-7684)
- Luke Spencer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4153-9048)
- Hielko Miljoen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6568-451X)
- Tim Van Puyvelde (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3541-0264)
- Bert Vandenberk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8296-920X)
- Jarne De Paepe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1452-6276)
- Olivier Ghekiere (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9229-9489)
- Hein Heidbüchel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9301-8127)
- Kristof Lefebvre
- André La Gerche (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3906-3784)
- Ruben De Bosscher (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3163-4781)
- Youri Bekhuis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3903-5051)
- Adrian D. Elliott (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5951-4239)
- Maria Brosnan
- Isabel Witvrouwen
- Dominique Hansen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3074-2737)
- Elizabeth Davida Paratz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2122-9889)
- Tom Dresselaers (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0884-5142)
- Dorien Vermeulen
- Peter Sinnaeve (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4716-5892)
- Bernard P. Paelinck (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3478-6801)
- Prashanthan Sanders (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3803-8429)
- Boris Delpire (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1887-6919)
- Mathias Claeys (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3998-5340)
- Kristel Janssens (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3176-6751)
- Daisy Thijs
- Lieven Herbots (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7784-3610)
- Paolo D’Ambrosio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8459-2140)
- Sofie Van Soest
- Jonathan M. Kalman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6618-7184)
- Peter Vanvoorden
- Peter Hespel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1283-2229)
- Diane Fatkin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9010-9856)
- Jan Bogaert (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7495-9183)
- Guido Claessen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8261-6666)
- Kasper Favere (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1848-3701)
- Caroline M. Van De Heyning (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4661-4732)
- S. Rowe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7618-3040)
- Rik Willems (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5469-9609)
- David L. Prior (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3243-7026)
- Bert O. Eijnde (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2262-4661)
- Tomas Robyns (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8676-4874)
- Peter M. Kistler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5369-5844)
- Christophe Dausin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7864-2968)
- Amy M Mitchell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1475-2222)
- Piet Claus (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2013-639X)
- Steven Dymarkowski
- Rik Pauwels (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6287-5085)
Institutions
- Royal Adelaide Hospital (AU)
- The Royal Melbourne Hospital (AU)
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute (AU)
- University of Antwerp (BE)
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute (AU)
- The Heart Research Institute (AU)
- The Alfred Hospital (AU)
- Cardiovascular Institute Hospital (JP)
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- St Vincent's Hospital Sydney (AU)
- Jessa Hospital (BE)
- Antwerp University Hospital (BE)
- Province of Antwerp (BE)
- Hartcentrum Hasselt (BE)
- Australian Centre for Heart Health (AU)
- Monash University (AU)
- The University of Adelaide (AU)
- Hasselt University (BE)
- KU Leuven (BE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- European Journal of Preventive Cardiology
- Published
- 2025-11-06
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf715
- Primary Topic
- Cardiovascular Effects of Exercise
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00