Objective A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression were performed on selected studies to investigate the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) among athletes compared with non-athlete controls. Design Meta-analysis with heterogeneity analysis and subsequent meta-regression to model covariates were performed. The mode of exercise (endurance and mixed sports) and age were the a priori determined covariates. Data sources PubMed, MEDLINE, Science Direct, SPORTDiscus and the Cochrane library were searched. Eligibility criteria Research articles published after 1990 and before 2 December 2020 were included if they reported the number of AF cases in athletes with non-athlete (physically active or inactive) control groups, were case–control or cohort studies and if data allowed calculation of OR. Results The risk of developing AF was significantly higher in athletes than in non-athlete controls (OR: 2.46; 95% CI 1.73 to 3.51; p<0.001, Z=4.97). Mode of exercise and risk of AF were moderately correlated (B=0.1259, p=0.0193), with mixed sport conferring a greater risk of AF than endurance sport (B=−0.5476, p=0.0204). Younger (<55 years) athletes were significantly more likely to develop AF compared with older (≥55 years) athletes (B=−0.02293, p<0.001). Conclusion Athletes have a significantly greater likelihood of developing AF compared with non-athlete controls, with those participating in mixed sport and younger athletes at the greatest risk. Future studies of AF prevalence in athletes according to specific exercise dose parameters, including training and competition history, may aid further in delineating those at risk.

中文翻译：

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运动员心房颤动的风险：系统评价和荟萃分析

目的 对选定的研究进行系统评价、荟萃分析和荟萃回归，以调查与非运动员对照组相比，运动员心房颤动 (AF) 的发生率。设计 Meta 分析与异质性分析和随后对模型协变量的 Meta 回归进行。运动方式（耐力和混合运动）和年龄是先验确定的协变量。对数据源 PubMed、MEDLINE、Science Direct、SPORTDiscus 和 Cochrane 图书馆进行了检索。资格标准 1990 年之后和 2020 年 12 月 2 日之前发表的研究文章如果报告了非运动员（身体活动或不活动）对照组的运动员的 AF 病例数，是病例对照或队列研究，并且如果数据允许计算或者。结果 运动员发生房颤的风险显着高于非运动员对照组（OR：2.46；95% CI 1.73 至 3.51；p<0.001，Z=4.97）。运动方式与 AF 风险呈中度相关（B=0.1259，p=0.0193），混合运动比耐力运动更易导致 AF 风险（B=-0.5476，p=0.0204）。与年长（≥55 岁）运动员相比，年轻（<55 岁）运动员发生 AF 的可能性显着增加（B=-0.02293，p<0.001）。结论 与非运动员对照组相比，运动员发生 AF 的可能性显着增加，参加混合运动的人和年轻运动员的风险最大。未来根据特定运动剂量参数（包括训练和比赛历史）对运动员 AF 患病率的研究可能有助于进一步描述处于危险中的人群。