Sports Cardiology Clinic: Keeping Athletes Active

Points to remember

• The primary aim of the Sports Cardiology Clinic evaluation is to identify potentially serious cardiovascular disorders that could ultimately prove to be harmful if left unrecognized and untreated.
• Guidelines for training and performance improvement also are provided.

The challenge

Athletic performance often places extreme demands on the heart. Ensuring that the heart is healthy and fit enough for high-level training and competition is of paramount importance.

Although relatively rare, sports-related symptoms and concerns do occur in adolescent and young adult athletes. And athletic training and competition now commonly extend into the fifth decade of life and beyond—when the possibility of cardiac disorders has greatly increased. Thus, thorough and thoughtful evaluation of the cardiovascular system of older athletes has become an important aspect of adult cardiology.

At Mayo Clinic's Sports Cardiology Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, a team of physicians and allied health personnel evaluates and treats cardiac symptoms with a priority of keeping athletes active in sports. Mayo's sports cardiologists have extensive experience diagnosing and treating cardiac conditions in athletes.

Many team members also have personal athletic experience and understand the importance of sports participation in an individual's life. They will attempt to offer treatment to allow athletes to remain active in sports when possible.

While the primary aim of the sports cardiology evaluation is to identify potentially serious cardiovascular disorders that could ultimately prove to be harmful if left unrecognized and untreated, guidelines for training and performance improvement are also provided.

Program components

The sports cardiology evaluation includes tests appropriate to an individual's situation, including:

• Thorough review of medical history
• Review of athletic history
• Cardiovascular examination
• Evaluation of symptoms
• Electrocardiography
• Appropriate laboratory testing
• Cardiopulmonary exercise test
• Other diagnostic cardiac tests when indicated
• Training advice to improve athletic performance
• Optional sports nutrition consultation
• Optional sports medicine evaluation and consultation for musculoskeletal and orthopedic concerns
• Physical therapy as indicated
• Referrals to other specialists if a health issue cannot be resolved by cardiologists

Potential patients

Patients who are appropriate for the Sports Cardiology Clinic include adult athletes who compete at any level, from recreational to high-level competition. Adolescent athletes at least 15 years of age may also be evaluated in the Sports Cardiology Clinic. Reasons for coming to the Sports Cardiology Clinic include:

• Clearance to resume sports participation after cardiovascular surgery or a cardiac event
• Evaluation of symptoms, such as chest pain, palpitations, or shortness of breath, that occur during training or competition
• Unexplained deterioration in performance
• Concern over family history of cardiovascular disease
• Athletic performance impaired by previously prescribed medical treatment
• Advice on controlling cardiovascular risk factors
• Comprehensive cardiovascular screening

Appointments

Patients may be referred by their primary physicians, or they may make appointments on their own. To set up an initial evaluation with the Sports Cardiology Clinic, call
507-284-3994, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM Central time.