Key Details
- An observational study of over 9,000 elite male football players in England examined parameters associated with sudden cardiac death.
- Black players were categorized by regional ancestry: West African (51.9%), Caribbean (32.0%), East African (7.1%), Central African (4.3%), North African (2.7%), and South African (2.0%).
- West and Central African players showed higher prevalence of ECG abnormalities and structural heart remodeling compared to other Black subgroups and non-Black players.
- Major cardiac conditions (e.g., hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) were found in 1.0% of Black players vs. 0.4% of non-Black players (p=0.001). Among Black players, prevalence was highest in West Africans (1.6%) and Caribbeans (0.7%).
- ECG T-wave inversion prevalence varied: Central African 10.1%, West African 6.4%, Caribbean 4.5%, East African 4.3%, South African 4.3%, North African 1.6%, non-Black 2.2%.
Statement from Researchers
Dr. Kentaro Yamagata stated: "In this large cohort, we observed substantial heterogeneity within players of Black ethnicity. These findings suggest that treating athletes of Black ethnicity as a single group may oversimplify clinically meaningful differences in screening outcomes. Further work is required to determine whether incorporating ancestral origin into screening strategies can improve the precision and efficiency of cardiovascular evaluation."
Background
Previous studies reported higher incidence of sudden cardiac death in Black athletes. This study analyzed data from mandatory pre-participation screening (2017-2024) within the English Football Association program, including health questionnaire, 12-lead ECG, and echocardiography.