Sports cardiology is a part of cardiology that is based on the detection of heart diseases that may pose a risk for the practice of sport.
Although sudden death is rare, its risk increases with physical exercise, especially in people with undiagnosed heart disease. The aim of sports cardiology is to recognize the symptoms that may point to an increased cardiovascular risk. Sport should be performed under medical supervision and control.
In sports cardiology, cardiovascular variations caused by regular training are studied in order to determine the physiological limits of the athlete. With the means at our disposal, we can diagnose entities that can prevent adequate physical exercise, including diseases that can cause sudden death in athletes. Cardiologists recommend a series of rules and advice for correct physical exercise for both amateurs and professional athletes.
Most frequent injuries
The appearance of cardiac problems varies according to the age of the athlete. From the age of 35 and in the presence of risk factors: cholesterol, hypertension, smoking, etc., the presence of coronary artery disease is the leading cause of cardiovascular pathology. Heart valve problems may contraindicate sporting activity.
In young athletes, ruling out the presence of congenital heart disease such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or dysplasia considerably reduces the risk of sudden death.
Diagnosis of a pathology
If a cardiac pathology is detected in an athlete, this will contraindicate intense physical activity, except in the case of valvular heart disease, which, depending on its severity, does not necessarily affect the practice of sports.
The time in which an athlete will be available to return to physical activity, once his pathology has been diagnosed, is variable, depending on the disease that has been detected and if it has been treated by surgery.