Overview

• The VENTOUX trial, published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, tracked 106 asymptomatic male cyclists and triathletes aged 50 and older using cardiac MRI and implanted ECG recorders over two years.
• Cardiac MRI detected left ventricular myocardial fibrosis in 47% of participants, compared with 11% in a non-endurance control group.
• Athletes with scar tissue were 4.7 times more likely to experience ventricular arrhythmias, including 3% with sustained ventricular tachycardia and 19% with non-sustained episodes.
• Participants with detected dangerous rhythms received urgent follow-up and some were fitted with implantable cardioverter defibrillators to manage life-threatening events.
• Investigators plan to refine screening guidelines and launch trials to determine if female endurance athletes develop similar myocardial fibrosis and arrhythmia patterns.