Black athlete electrocardiographic repolarization pattern

There is debate over the use of the electrocardiogram (ECG) to screen athletes for disorders associated with sudden cardiac death, but if screening is completed, accurate ECG interpretation is important. Recently, there has been recognition of a normal black athlete repolarization pattern which includes J-point elevation, convex ST-segment elevation, and T-wave inversions in leads V1 to V4 occurring in 5 –15% of black athletes. This pattern must be differentiated from T-wave inversions that are associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.
Source: Journal of Electrocardiology - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Review Source Type: research