Need to know:
"Generally, athletes with permanent pacemakers should be cleared for athletic participation if there are no limiting structural heart conditions or symptoms."
(Class I Recommendation; Level of Evidence C)
Pacemaker-dependent
"Athletes who are completely pacemaker dependent should not engage in sports in which there is a risk of collision that could result in damage to the pacemaker system."
(Class I Recommendation; Level of Evidence C)
Not pacemaker-dependent
"Athletes treated with a pacemaker who are not pacemaker dependent may participate in sports with a risk of collision or trauma if they understand and accept the risk of damage to the pacemaker system and they have no structural heart disease that precludes participation."
(Class I Recommendation; Level of Evidence C)
"For athletes with permanent pacemakers, protective equipment should be considered for participation in contact sports that have the potential to damage the implanted device."
(Class I Recommendation; Level of Evidence C)
Reference: Eligibility and Disqualification Recommendations for Competitive Athletes With Cardiovascular Abnormalities: Task Force 9: Arrhythmias and Conduction Defects.
A Scientific Statement From the AHA and ACC. Circulation 2015
Disclaimer: This website is derived from published guidelines, but does not constitute medical advice nor does it replace clinical judgement. Only the text in quotation marks are direct quotations from the original guidelines. Text not in quotations as well as the method of information display are all that of the website creator and are not part of the original published guidelines. Please consult a physician to discuss any patient-specific matters.
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