Sports Cardiology
Athletes—from weekend warriors to Olympic athletes—trust on our expertise for customized physiologic testing and comprehensive cardiovascular care.
Athletes are active individuals who enjoy exercise and physical activity, including people who are active on the job (the tactical athlete). Our customized evaluations, treatment plans and exercise prescriptions take into account each individual’s cardiovascular risk factors, age, sport type and goals. We work with patients to create a plan that keeps them active and safe.
Who would benefit from sports cardiology evaluation:
- Determining sports eligibility through preparticipation cardiac evaluation
- Evaluating of potential cardiac symptoms
- Managing athletes who have a confirmed cardiac diagnosis
- Assisting with return-to-play decision-making
- Any athlete who wants a risk assessment
Preparticipation safety screening for athletes
Some high school, collegiate and professional teams require athletes to undergo cardiac screenings before they may participate in their sport. Some athletes experience exercise-related symptoms. Many may not have symptoms but want to make sure they are healthy enough to participate in a race or join a recreational team. These screenings may provide an athlete with additional insight into a known condition or a diagnosis of an otherwise unknown pre-existing cardiac condition.
Diagnosing and managing cardiovascular conditions in athletes
Dr. Shah is specially-trained to distinguish an unhealthy, enlarged heart from a physiologically enlarged trained heart.
Our cardiac performance lab allows us to assess an athlete’s physical fitness and customize testing to reproduce symptoms to help us diagnose a heart or vascular condition. Interpretation of all testing is considered in the context of athletic training history to distinguish healthy changes from potential heart disease.
Our cardiac performance lab allows us to assess an athlete’s physical fitness and customize testing to reproduce symptoms to help us diagnose a heart or vascular condition. Interpretation of all testing is considered in the context of athletic training history to distinguish healthy changes from potential heart disease.
We work with athletes diagnosed with cardiovascular disease to reach their activity and performance goals in a safe way. This includes making treatment decisions with their physical activity needs in mind, such as choosing medications that will not reduce performance or specific exercise prescription tailored to their sport (e.g., mountaineering or scuba diving).
Athlete Risk Assessment
Athletes should have regular primary care and when appropriate seek specialty care. Exercise is the best medicine we have but it does not confer immunity to disease. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors should be evaluated and aggressively treated.