Cardiovascular Outcomes of Youth Female Athletes: Stratifications of Risk Using Subdivisions in Sports

Authors

• Jillian D'Souza, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
• Nikta Nair, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
• David Shipon, MD, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow

Document Type

Abstract

Publication Date

2-11-2026

Academic Year

2025-2026

Comments

Presented at the 2026 Scholarly Inquiry (SI) Research Project Symposium.

Abstract

Introduction: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in youth athletes is a rare, but devastating event that may proactively be prevented through identification of pathologic structural, functional and electrical cardiac remodeling changes. Pathological changes in female athletes along with the associated risk and protective factors related to SCD are understudied. This study aims to identify pathological cardiac changes in female athletes and inquire whether strength-based versus endurance-based sports carry different levels of risk.

Methods: The HeartBytes database was compiled from cardiac screenings of youth athletes in Southeastern Pennsylvania conducted from 2014 to 2021. Screenings collected information from health questionnaires, physical exam results, and 12-lead ECGs. Data for this project was categorized into endurance- or strength-based and included sports such as basketball, tennis, gymnastics, soccer, and golf. Independent-samples t-tests were used to assess the relationship between sport category and abnormal screening findings, including T-wave inversion, ST-segment depression, and pathologic Q waves.

Results: A total of 4,301 athletes were classified in the endurance-based group and 697 in the strength-based group. A two-sided independent-samples t-test with unequal variances indicated a statistically significant difference between groups (p = 0.049; p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Despite limitations of sport classification and the inability to establish a causal relationship, female youth athletes participating in endurance-based sports demonstrated statistically significant differences in cardiac findings compared with those participating in strength-based sports (p = 0.049). Future work may explore which specific sports carry higher risk for cardiac outcomes and use this information to improve cardiac screenings for youth female athletes.

Recommended Citation

D'Souza, Jillian; Nair, Nikta; and Shipon, MD, David, "Cardiovascular Outcomes of Youth Female Athletes: Stratifications of Risk Using Subdivisions in Sports" (2026). Phase 1. Paper 7.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/si_phr_2028_phase1/7

Language

English