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June 12, 2026npj Digital MedicineOpen Access

The incidence of sports-related sudden cardiac death in adolescents and young adults ranged from 0.1 to 0.6 per 100,000 participants per year.

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Population

Adolescent and young adult athletes participating in either recreational or professional sports

Design

Systematic_review

Key result

The incidence of sports-related sudden cardiac death in adolescents and young adults ranged from 0.1 to 0.6 per 100,000 participants per year.

Authors

EMErik Vanegas MüllerNSNicharee SrikijkasemwatAGAndrew Gan

Discussion

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Overview

Low SrSCD incidence in young athletes supports targeted prevention; extends epidemiological data for arrhythmia prediction research.

Key Points

  • The review aims to evaluate the incidence of sports-related sudden cardiac death (SrSCD) and arrest (SrSCA) along with the application of explainable AI (xAI) in cardiac modeling.
  • Systematic search of eight databases from 2013–2025, yielding 9574 studies; 84 studies were included based on focused criteria.
  • Utilized PROBAST for bias assessment of selected studies and categorized findings into epidemiology, xAI, and cardiac modeling.
  • Documenation of SrSCD incidence and dominant xAI techniques, specifically Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping.
  • SrSCD incidence ranged from 0.1 to 0.6 per 100,000 participants per year among adolescents and young adults.
  • Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping was the most prominent explainable AI technique identified.
  • Cardiac electrophysiological models primarily concentrated on cellular and tissue-level electrophysiology.

Study Design

Type

Systematic Review (n=84)

Structured PICO

P
Population
A systematic review of 84 studies evaluating the incidence of sports-related sudden cardiac death and arrest, explainable AI applications, and cardiac electrophysiological models in athletes aged 10 to 35 years.
E
Exposure
Explainable Artificial Intelligence (xAI) applied to life-threatening arrhythmias and cardiac electrophysiological models
O
Outcome
Epidemiology of sports-related sudden cardiac death (SrSCD) and sudden cardiac arrest (SrSCA) incidence, xAI techniques applied to life-threatening arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiological models

This systematic review highlights the need for standardized definitions of sports-related sudden cardiac events and the integration of epidemiological risk factors with xAI and cardiac modeling to improve athlete-specific risk stratification.

Limitations

  • Ambiguity in definitions of life-threatening arrhythmias, sport, and athlete.
  • Lack of uniform definitions of explainability in xAI.
  • Assessment of novelty in cardiac electrophysiological models is complex and subjective.
  • Search strategy constrained to English-language publications and specific databases, leading to geographical imbalance.
  • PROBAST may be unsuitable for assessing incidence and modelling studies.
  • Ambiguous definitions of 'life-threatening arrhythmias', 'sport', and 'athlete'
  • Lack of uniform definitions of explainability in xAI and evolving AI terminology
  • Complexity in assessing novelty of cardiac electrophysiological models
  • Search constrained to English-language publications and specific databases, leading to geographical imbalance
  • PROBAST may be unsuitable for assessing incidence and modelling studies

Cite This Study

Müller et al. (2026) conducted a systematic review in Sports-related sudden cardiac death and arrest (n=84). Explainable Artificial Intelligence (xAI) and cardiac electrophysiological models was evaluated on Incidence of sports-related sudden cardiac death (SrSCD). The incidence of sports-related sudden cardiac death in adolescents and young adults ranged from 0.1 to 0.6 per 100,000 participants per year.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a2bd1386550ea4541ffe950https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-026-02878-x
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Death in Sports: An Updated Overview of Epidemiology, Etiologies, and Prevention Strategies, with Emphasis on Inherited Cardiomyopathies2025 · 4 citations
  2. 2Artificial Intelligence in Predicting Sudden Cardiac Death2025 · 1 citations
  3. 3Sudden cardiac death (scd) in professional athletes2025
  4. 4Artificial intelligence-based ascertainment of sudden cardiac death in electronic health records: development, validation and utility across national datasets2026
  5. 5Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Young Adults - Hidden Dangers in Your Lifestyle2025