Arrhythmias & electrophysiology
Ventricular Arrhythmia and Cardiac Fibrosis in Endurance Experienced Athletes (VENTOUX)
Authors' conclusion
In male veteran endurance athletes, myocardial fibrosis was independently associated with the onset of ventricular arrhythmia, even after adjusting for left ventricular dilatation. Right ventricular insertion point late gadolinium enhancement was not associated with ventricular arrhythmia. Further studies are needed to establish whether myocardial fibrosis itself is arrhythmogenic or a marker of an underlying cardiomyopathic process.
Study context
- Population
- Asymptomatic male competitive cyclists/triathletes (aged ≥50 years) who undertook ≥10 h/wk of exercise for ≥15 years, without preexisting cardiovascular diseaseasymptomatic male competitive cyclists/triathletes
- Participants
- 106 participants
- Exposure
- Myocardial fibrosis on cardiovascular magnetic resonance and incident ventricular arrhythmia on long-term implantable loop recorder
- Focal myocardial fibrosisn = 50/106 (47.2%)
- Outcome
- Incident ventricular arrhythmia
- Follow-up
- Median 720 days
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Hazard ratio (95% CI)P value
Myocardial fibrosisincreased risk
4.7(1.8–12.8)
P = 0.002Greater left ventricular end-diastolic volume indexedincreased risk
1.4(1.1–1.9)
P = 0.02Right ventricular insertion point late gadolinium enhancementnot associated
1.7(0.6–5.1)
P = 0.32Myocardial fibrosisadjusted for left ventricular end-diastolic volume indexed
4.7(1.7–12.7)
P = 0.002- Athletes with ≥1 ventricular arrhythmic episode
- 23/106 (21.7%)
- Sustained ventricular tachycardia
- 3/106 (2.8%)
- Nonsustained ventricular tachycardia
- 20/106 (18.9%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Focal myocardial fibrosis on cardiovascular magnetic resonance
- Athletes with focal myocardial fibrosis (all nonischemic distribution), predominantly affecting the basal inferolateral left ventricular segment
- 50/106 (47.2%)
Original publication
Ventricular Arrhythmia and Cardiac Fibrosis in Endurance Experienced Athletes (VENTOUX). Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. Published 17 July 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →