Exercise practice and short-QT interval on ECG.
J Electrocardiol 2026; 94:154173.

Abstract

A short-QT interval is a potential electrocardiographic finding, while short-QT syndrome (SQTS) is a rare, inherited channelopathy characterized by pathological shortening of the action potential duration leading to an increased risk of life-threatening arrhythmias. In contrast to the long QT syndrome (LQTS), data on the prevalence, diagnosis, risk stratification, treatment and prognosis of short-QT syndrome are scarce. Understanding the true risk of adverse events in exercise population or sporting activities by the patient with short-QT on 12‑leads electrocardiogram is complex: here, we summarize current knowledge and raise questions regarding the challenging relationship between the difficult SQTS diagnosis and exercise practice.

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Authors+Show Affiliations

Mascia GCardiovascular Disease Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy.
Brugada JArrhythmia, Inherited Cardiac Diseases and Sudden Death Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Arrhythmia Section, Cardiology Department, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; IDIBAPS, Institut d'Investigació August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain; Member of the European Reference Network for Rare, Low Prevalence and Complex Diseases of the Heart - ERN GUARD-Heart, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Arbelo EArrhythmia Section, Cardiology Department, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; IDIBAPS, Institut d'Investigació August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain; Member of the European Reference Network for Rare, Low Prevalence and Complex Diseases of the Heart - ERN GUARD-Heart, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Minghini ADepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Italy.
Bianchi LDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Italy.
Barca LDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Italy.
Pierucci NDepartment of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Anesthesiologic and Geriatric Sciences, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
Monaco CCardiology Hospital Haut Lévêque, CHU Bordeaux, Pessac, France; IHU LIRYC (Cardiac electrophysiology and modeling), CRCTB (Inserm u1045), University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
Di Donna PCardiovascular Disease Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy.
Porto ICardiovascular Disease Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Italy.

MeSH

HumansElectrocardiographyArrhythmias, CardiacExerciseExercise Test

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Review

Language

eng

PubMed ID

41380380