• Population-based study in athletic and non-athletic populations aged 12-35 yrs (Italy) - 1979-2004
• In parallel study examined trends in cardiovascular causes of disqualification from competitive sports in 42 386 athletes undergoing screening in Padua (1982-1992) and (1993-2004)
• Outcome measures: incidence of total CV and cause-specific sudden death in screened athletes and unscreened non-athletes

Results

• 55 deaths in athletes = 1.9 deaths/100 000 per year
• 256 death in unscreened nonathletes: 0.79/100 00 per year
  

Conclusion

• Systematic PPE programme can significantly decrease mortality, via identification and disqualification of athletes with an underlying and unsuspected cardiomyopathy
• Supporting evidence
  • The decrease in athlete deaths occurred at the same time as the implementation of national screening programme
  • Reduced mortality was largely due to fewer deaths from cardiomyopathy
  • Incidence of SCD did not change among the unscreened non-athletic population of the same age