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Fatal Cardiac Arrhythmias During Electronic Gaming
Quick Takes
- Although e-gaming–associated cardiac events, including SCD, have been reported anecdotally, the absolute risk is extremely low.
- Electronic gaming can be a safe activity for patients with genetically mediated heart diseases after accurate diagnosis, risk stratification, and appropriate treatment.
- Additional studies are indicated to compare cardiac events occurring among electronic gamers vs. regular athletes to determine whether electronic gaming is associated with a greater risk of cardiac arrhythmias.
Study Questions:
What is the prevalence of cardiac events occurring in the setting of electronic gaming in genetic heart diseases (GHDs)?
Methods:
The investigators did a retrospective review of all patients evaluated and treated at Mayo Clinic’s genetic heart rhythm clinic from July 2000 to November 2022 to identify patients with a history of playing electronic games at the time of their cardiac event. Cardiac event was used to define events occurring before diagnosis, and breakthrough cardiac event (BCE) was used for events occurring after diagnosis. All continuous variables were presented as mean ± standard deviation and all categoric variables as frequencies (%).
Results:
Of the 3,370 patients with a GHD (mean age at first evaluation 27 ± 19 years, 55% female), 1,079 (32%) had a cardiac event before diagnosis, with five patients (0.5%) having an electronic gaming–associated event (three catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, one long QT syndrome, and one premature ventricular contraction–triggered ventricular fibrillation). After diagnosis and treatment, 431 patients (13%) experienced ≥1 BCE during follow-up, of which one electronic gaming–associated BCE (0.2%) occurred in a patient with catecholamine-sensitive right outflow tract ventricular tachycardia.
Conclusions:
The authors report that cases of electronic gaming–associated life-threatening arrhythmias are extremely rare occurrences.
Perspective:
This study suggests that although e-gaming–associated cardiac events, including sudden cardiac death (SCD), have been reported anecdotally, the absolute risk is extremely low. It seems that electronic gaming can be a safe activity for patients with genetically mediated heart diseases after accurate diagnosis, risk stratification, and appropriate treatment. The addictive nature and other noncardiac health issues associated with excess e-gaming may be hazardous, but the threat of SCD should not be a valid concern to curb time spent gaming. Additional studies are indicated to compare cardiac events occurring among electronic gamers versus regular athletes to determine whether electronic gaming is associated with a greater risk of cardiac arrhythmias.
Clinical Topics: Arrhythmias and Clinical EP, Congenital Heart Disease and Pediatric Cardiology, Prevention, Sports and Exercise Cardiology, Implantable Devices, Genetic Arrhythmic Conditions, SCD/Ventricular Arrhythmias, Atrial Fibrillation/Supraventricular Arrhythmias, Congenital Heart Disease, CHD and Pediatrics and Arrhythmias, CHD and Pediatrics and Quality Improvement, Sports and Exercise and Congenital Heart Disease and Pediatric Cardiology
Keywords: Arrhythmias, Cardiac, Athletes, Catecholamines, Death, Sudden, Cardiac, Electronics, Genetics, Heart Defects, Congenital, Long QT Syndrome, Risk, Secondary Prevention, Tachycardia, Ventricular, Ventricular Fibrillation, Video Games
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