Comparison of common electrocardiographic characteristics between West-Asian, black and Caucasian male athletes
| West-Asian (n=800) | Black (n=300) | Caucasian (n=120) | West-Asian controls (n=135) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resting HR (bpm) (n ≤60, %) | 58.9 ± 11.3* [28–98], 493 (62%) | 53.8 ± 9.9† [34–88], 239 (80%) | 52± 8.5‡ [36–80], 99 (83%) | 63.2 ± 11.4 [39–94], 66 (49%) |
| PR interval (ms) (n ≥200, %) | 160.3 ± 29.5 [80–300], 36 (4.5%) | 176.9 ± 33.2† [90–360], 39 (13%) | 168.8 ± 35.7‡ [100–340], 5 (4.2%) | 158 ± 26.1 [114–200], 3 (2.2%) |
| QRS duration (ms) (n ≥120, %) | 86.9 ± 9.1 [66–120], 3 (0.4%) | 86.9 ± 9.9 [68–124], 5 (1.7%) | 91.6 ± 11 [74–116], 0 (0%) | 85.8 ± 8.9 [68–126], 1 (0.7%) |
| QTc interval (ms) (n ≥470, %) | 396 ± 26.4 [305–500], 4 (0.5%) | 391.5 ± 25.9 [330–470], 1 (0.3%) | 398.2 ± 34.3 [360–460], 0 (0%) | 389.5 ± 24.7 [340–450], 0 (0%) |
| First-degree AV block | 36 (4.5%) | 39 (13.2%)§ | 5 (4.2%) | 3 (2.2%) |
| Early repolarisation | 477 (59.6%)* | 233 (79%)§ | 80 (66.7%) | 61 (45.2%) |
| IRBBB | 334 (41.8%) | 134 (45.4%) | 72 (60%) | 56 (41.5%) |
| Sokolow–Lyon voltage | 188 (23.5%)* | 79 (26.8%) | 28 (23.3%) | 13 (9.6%) |
| Romhilt–Estes Score | 122 (15.3%)* | 75 (25.4%)† | 23 (19.2%) | 2 (1.5%) |
Values are expressed as mean ± SD and [range], and/or frequency and (%).
↵* West-Asian athletes vs West-Asian controls, p<0.05.
↵† Black athletes vs West-Asian athletes, p<0.05.
↵‡ Caucasian athletes vs West-Asian athletes, p<0.05.
↵§ Black athletes vs West-Asian and Caucasian athletes, p<0.05.
AV, arterioventricular; HR, heart rate; IRBBB, incomplete right bundle branch block.