PAFIYAMA, description of a new clinical entity in middle-aged athletes and its long-term repercussions

Abstract

Aquí tienes la traducción al inglés:

🇬🇧 English Translation: Atrial Fibrillation in Endurance Athletes

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, whose risk usually increases with age. This condition is commonly associated with major cardiovascular diseases and structural heart damage, while it is rarely observed in young, healthy individuals. Objective: To analyze the growing evidence related to paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in young or middle-aged, otherwise healthy, endurance athletes. Methods: Literature on the topic of atrial fibrillation associated with strenuous endurance exercise was searched. About 281 references were found using the included terms, but the 50 indexed articles considered most relevant were taken into account. Analysis and Integration of Information: Growing evidence indicates that paroxysmal atrial fibrillation can also be initiated in endurance athletes, particularly young or middle-aged and otherwise healthy individuals. The use of a new syndrome definition based on the accumulated data in the literature is suggested: atrial fibrillation related to strenuous physical exercise under the acronym "PAFIYAMA." The objective diagnosis of this condition can be achieved by meeting a series of putative diagnostic criteria, once common risk factors for atrial fibrillation and other underlying causes have been ruled out. Conclusions: Growing evidence suggests that atrial fibrillation associated with strenuous physical exercise can now be considered a unique clinical entity, which can be tentatively defined as "PAFIYAMA."