Sports in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy and desmosomal mutations.

ABSTRACT

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) is a rare cardiomyopathy associated with life-threatening arrhythmias and an increased risk of sudden cardiac death. In addition to mutations in desmosomal genes, environmental factors such as exercise and sport have been implicated in the pathogenesis of the disease. Recent studies have shown that exercise may be associated with adverse outcomes in patients with ARVD/C. On the basis of current evidence, patients with ARVD/C are recommended to limit exercise irrespective of their mutation status. Some studies have suggested the presence of an entirely acquired form of the disease caused by exercise, which has been dubbed "exercise-induced ARVD/C."