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video games ‘might be lethal’ to kids with certain heart conditions

a small study sheds light on the way video games can trigger cardiac arrhythmias in children with a rare but potentially deadly condition.

by dave yasvinski

oct 12 2022
read time 3 minute read
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video games can be dangerous for kids with rare heart conditions
in recent study, many of the patients who suffered cardiac events had just won or lost games or were excitedly engaged with companions following a heated match. getty
a new study has found that video games can trigger life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias in a small number of children with predisposing heart issues.

in a systemic review, which appears in the journal heart rhythm , researchers found 22 cases of children who suddenly lost consciousness while playing video games, with multiplayer war gaming proving to be the most common trigger. several children died after experiencing cardiac arrest and a subsequent diagnosis of several heart rhythm conditions mean the remaining patients face ongoing risk of suffering another episode.

the most common causes of their condition were catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (cpvt) and congenital long qt syndrome (lqts) types 1 and 2.
“video games may represent a serious risk to some children with arrhythmic conditions; they might be lethal in patients with predisposing — but often previously unrecognized — arrhythmic conditions,” said claire m. lawley, lead investigator of the research from the heart centre for children in sydney, australia. “children who suddenly lose consciousness while electronic gaming should be assessed by a heart specialist as this could be the first sign of a serious heart problem.”

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the investigation revealed the high incidence (63 per cent) of potentially relevant genetic variants among these children, a finding of particular relevance for their entire family. in some cases, it led to family members being diagnosed with a familial heart rhythm issue of which they were unaware.
as for the underlying cause of the phenomenon, the team pointed to “adrenergic stimulation related to the emotionally charged electronic gaming environment.” many of the patients who suffered cardiac events had just won or lost games or were excitedly engaged with companions following a heated match. “families and healthcare teams should think about safety precautions around electronic gaming in children who have a condition where dangerous fast heart rhythms are a risk,” lawley said.
researchers said they were surprised that video games could expose patients to this level of danger. “we already know that some children have heart conditions that can put them at risk when playing competitive sports but we were shocked to discover that some patients were having life-threatening blackouts during video gaming,” said christian turner, co-investigator of the study from the heart centre for children. “video gaming was something i previously thought would be an alternative ‘safe activity.’ this is a really important discovery.
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“we need to ensure everyone knows how important it is to get checked out when someone has had a blacking out episode in these circumstances.”
although the phenomenon may not be common, the team said its prevalence is on the rise and needs to be taken seriously. “having looked after children with heart rhythm problems for more than 25 years, i was staggered to see how widespread this emerging presentation is and to find that a number of children had even died from it,” said jonathan skinner, another co-investigator of the study. “all of the collaborators are keen to publicize this phenomenon so our colleagues across the globe can recognize it and protect these children and their families.”

an editorial that accompanied the research stressed that the concept of “exertion” needs to be understood to include activities outside the realm of traditional competitive athletics. “appropriate counselling regarding the risks of intense video gameplay should be targeted in children with a pro-arrhythmic cardiac diagnosis and in any child with a history of exertional syncope of undetermined etiology,” it said. “further, any future screening programs aimed at identifying athletes at risk for malignant arrhythmias should encompass athletes being considered for participation in esports.”

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dave yasvinski is a writer with  healthing.ca

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