Cohort study
Prevalence and clinical significance of QRS fragmentation and low QRS voltages in elite female football players
- Cohort study
- consecutive screening cohort
Authors' conclusion
In elite female footballers, fQRS is a common ECG finding strongly associated with physiological biventricular remodelling, particularly of the right ventricle. Within the context of this screening programme, fQRS was not associated with detectable cardiac pathology or adverse events, suggesting it may represent a feature of the athlete's heart rather than underlying disease.
Study context
- Population
- Elite female football players undergoing CV screening (12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiogram), April 2017–October 2024mean age 20.13 ± 5.48 years
- Participants
- 2,566 players
- Outcome
- Prevalence and clinical significance of fQRS and low QRS voltage
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
fQRS in ≥2 contiguous leads
205 (8.0%)
fQRS predominantly in anterior leads
61.3%
fQRS in lead V1 alone
370 (14.4%)
Low QRS voltage in limb leads (exceedingly rare)
two (0.1%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Indexed RV and left ventricular (LV) diameters, fQRS vs no fQRS
- Significantly larger indexed RV diameter with fQRS
- P < 0.001
- Significantly larger indexed LV diameter with fQRS
- P & 0.033
Original publication
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it