Preparticipation Cardiovascular Screening of Athletes: Current Controversies and Challenges for the Future

Sports cardiology is an evolving field in cardiology, with several topics remaining controversial. Beyond the several well-known benefits of regular exercise practice, the occurrence of adverse clinical events during sports in apparently healthy individuals, especially sudden cardiac death, and the...

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Main Authors: Hélder Dores, Paulo Dinis, José Miguel Viegas, António Freitas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Diagnostics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/14/21/2445
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author Hélder Dores
Paulo Dinis
José Miguel Viegas
António Freitas
author_facet Hélder Dores
Paulo Dinis
José Miguel Viegas
António Freitas
author_sort Hélder Dores
collection DOAJ
description Sports cardiology is an evolving field in cardiology, with several topics remaining controversial. Beyond the several well-known benefits of regular exercise practice, the occurrence of adverse clinical events during sports in apparently healthy individuals, especially sudden cardiac death, and the described long-term adverse cardiac adaptations associated to high volume of exercise, remain challenging. The early identification of athletes with increased risk is critical, but the most appropriate preparticipation screening protocols are also debatable and a more personalized evaluation, considering individual and sports-related characteristics, will potentially optimize this evaluation. As the risk of major clinical events during sports is not zero, independently of previous evaluation, ensuring the capacity for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, especially with availability of automated external defibrillators, in sports arenas, is crucial for its prevention and to improve outcomes. As in other areas of medicine, application of new digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, is promising and could improve in near future several aspects of sports cardiology. This paper aims to review the methodology of athletes’ preparticipation screening, emphasizing current controversies and future challenges, in order to improve early diagnosis of conditions associated with sudden cardiac death.
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spelling doaj-art-d3a84e6b374e4fcc9ceaa2c7911124322025-08-20T02:49:56ZengMDPI AGDiagnostics2075-44182024-10-011421244510.3390/diagnostics14212445Preparticipation Cardiovascular Screening of Athletes: Current Controversies and Challenges for the FutureHélder Dores0Paulo Dinis1José Miguel Viegas2António Freitas3Department of Cardiology, Hospital da Luz, 1600-209 Lisbon, PortugalDepartment of Cardiology, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, 3000-075 Coimbra, PortugalDepartment of Cardiology, Hospital de Santa Marta, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central, 1169-050 Lisbon, PortugalDepartment of Cardiology, Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca, 2720-276 Lisbon, PortugalSports cardiology is an evolving field in cardiology, with several topics remaining controversial. Beyond the several well-known benefits of regular exercise practice, the occurrence of adverse clinical events during sports in apparently healthy individuals, especially sudden cardiac death, and the described long-term adverse cardiac adaptations associated to high volume of exercise, remain challenging. The early identification of athletes with increased risk is critical, but the most appropriate preparticipation screening protocols are also debatable and a more personalized evaluation, considering individual and sports-related characteristics, will potentially optimize this evaluation. As the risk of major clinical events during sports is not zero, independently of previous evaluation, ensuring the capacity for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, especially with availability of automated external defibrillators, in sports arenas, is crucial for its prevention and to improve outcomes. As in other areas of medicine, application of new digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, is promising and could improve in near future several aspects of sports cardiology. This paper aims to review the methodology of athletes’ preparticipation screening, emphasizing current controversies and future challenges, in order to improve early diagnosis of conditions associated with sudden cardiac death.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/14/21/2445athletesports cardiologysudden cardiac deathpre-participation screeningdigital
spellingShingle Hélder Dores
Paulo Dinis
José Miguel Viegas
António Freitas
Preparticipation Cardiovascular Screening of Athletes: Current Controversies and Challenges for the Future
Diagnostics
athlete
sports cardiology
sudden cardiac death
pre-participation screening
digital
title Preparticipation Cardiovascular Screening of Athletes: Current Controversies and Challenges for the Future
title_full Preparticipation Cardiovascular Screening of Athletes: Current Controversies and Challenges for the Future
title_fullStr Preparticipation Cardiovascular Screening of Athletes: Current Controversies and Challenges for the Future
title_full_unstemmed Preparticipation Cardiovascular Screening of Athletes: Current Controversies and Challenges for the Future
title_short Preparticipation Cardiovascular Screening of Athletes: Current Controversies and Challenges for the Future
title_sort preparticipation cardiovascular screening of athletes current controversies and challenges for the future
topic athlete
sports cardiology
sudden cardiac death
pre-participation screening
digital
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/14/21/2445
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AT paulodinis preparticipationcardiovascularscreeningofathletescurrentcontroversiesandchallengesforthefuture
AT josemiguelviegas preparticipationcardiovascularscreeningofathletescurrentcontroversiesandchallengesforthefuture
AT antoniofreitas preparticipationcardiovascularscreeningofathletescurrentcontroversiesandchallengesforthefuture