Despite the documented health benefits of physical exercise, there is a paradoxical, but small, risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and/or death (SCD) associated with exercise. Cardiovascular causes account for 75% of sportrelated deaths in young athletes, with SCA/SCD rates varying according to athlete age, gender, intensity of ac-*All SCD in adolescents: athlete, and non-athlete, and regardless of activity. †Includes only SCDs occurring during MSHSL-sponsored game or practice. ‡Includes SCDs occurring in all MSHSL-age athletes, regardless of activity level at time of SCD. §Includes only SCDs occurring during exertion in NCAA athletes. kIncludes all NCAA athlete SCDs, whether occurring during competition, practice, sleep, or when the athlete is off with injury.
In recent years, athletic participation has more than doubled in all major demographic groups, while simultaneously, children and adults with established heart disease desire participation in sports and exercise. Despite conferring favorable long-term effects on well-being and survival, exercise can be associated with risk of adverse events in the short term. Complex individual cardiovascular (CV) demands and adaptations imposed by exercise present distinct challenges to the cardiologist asked to evaluate athletes. Here, we describe the evolution of sports and exercise cardiology as a unique discipline within the continuum of CV specialties, provide the rationale for tailoring of CV care to athletes and exercising individuals, define the role of the CV specialist within the athlete care team, and lay the foundation for the development of Sports and Exercise Cardiology in the United States. In 2011, the American College of Cardiology launched the Section of Sports and Exercise Cardiology. Membership has grown from 150 to over 4,000 members in just 2 short years, indicating marked interest from the CV community to advance the integration of sports and exercise cardiology into mainstream CV care. Although the current athlete CV care model has distinct limitations, here, we have outlined a new paradigm of care for the American athlete and exercising individual. By practicing and promoting this new paradigm, we believe we will enhance the CV care of athletes of all ages, and serve the greater athletic community and our nation as a whole, by allowing safest participation in sports and physical activity for all individuals who seek this lifestyle.
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