Experiences in Cardiovascular Screening of Professional Athletes Using Echocardiography and Electrocardiography at Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute in Tanzania

Background: Sudden cardiac deaths (SCD) in professional athletes have resulted in a need for cardiovascular screening. There is a general paucity of data regarding screening for SCD risks in African professional athletes, including those in Tanzania. Aim: To determine professional athletes’ electrocardiographic and echocardiographic characteristics. Methodology: A cross-sectional study at Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, involved professional athletes from 2021 to 2023 Data on anthropometrics, physical examination, and family history were entered into a standardized questionnaire. All patients underwent 12-lead electrocardiograph (ECG) and two-dimensional echocardiography. Continuous variables were tested for normality using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. ECG and echocardiography findings of men and women athletes were compared by using the unpaired Student’s t-test for continuous variables. The chi-square test was used to evaluate the differences in proportions for categorical ECG and echocardiographic findings of men and women athletes. The p-value of <.05 was statistically significant. Results: 86 professional athletes were included, most of whom were men (62%). There was a statistically significant mean difference in men(M) vs women(W) in heart rate (53M vs 60W p<.001), PR interval (176M vs 164W p<.043) and left ventricular internal diameter in diastole (46M vs 41W p<.001). Only two athletes, one man and one woman, had a prolonged QT interval. The most prevalent normal ECG finding in men athletes was early repolarization, and sinus arrhythmia in women athletes. Conclusion: Most of our athletes had normal physiological changes, which are more common in men than women. A few athletes with abnormal findings reinforce the importance of cardiac screening .