New recommendations for the prevention of sudden cardiac death in athletes and recreational sports

Title : New recommendations for the prevention of sudden cardiac death in athletes and recreational sports

Abstract:

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) among athletes has been increased in recent years. This high-impact event occurs from unrecognized structural or electrical heart disease in professional athletes, while in recreational sports happens in older athletes due to occult coronary artery disease. Effective prevention requires a comprehensive strategy integrating cardiovascular screening, risk stratification and emergency on time interventions. Pre-participation evaluation include personal and family history, physical examination, 12-lead electrocardiography, echocardiography, stress test, diagnostic imaging like CT, MRI and genetic testing aims to identify conditions such as cardiomyopathies, channelopathies, and inflammation that predispose athletes to lethal arrhythmias during exercise. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is an established biomarker of systemic inflammation and has emerging relevance in the cardiovascular evaluation of athletes. Although hsCRP is not a direct predictor of sudden cardiac death (SCD), persistent elevation may signal underlying pathological processes that increase arrhythmogenic risk during intense exercise. Transient increases in hsCRP are common following prolonged or high-intensity training; however, values exceeding 3 mg/L outside of the immediate post-exercise window are associated with heightened systemic inflammation and warrant clinical attention. Elevated hsCRP may indicate the presence of low chronic grade level inflammation or viral or immune-mediated myocarditis as a leading cause of SCD in young athletes related to overtraining, infection, autoimmune disease, or inadequate recovery. In masters athletes, chronically increased hsCRP correlates with endothelial dysfunction and potential coronary plaque instability.

]Conclusion: This recommendation will provide new concrete and practical management as guideline for adequate prevention of SCD in athletes and recreational sport.

Biography:

Prof. Dr. Sekib Sokolovic studied Medicine at the Sarajevo University, Bosnia and Herzegovina and graduated in 1983. He  received his PhD degree in 2004 at the same institution.  He obtained the position of an Professor in Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Vascular Disease and Rheumatology at the same institution. He gained subspecialty training in Rheumatology at University of California Irvine, L.A. and later subspecialty in Cardiology at Medical Faculty of Sarajevo. He has published research articles in SCI(E) journals.), reviewer of many scientific journals worldwide and invited speaker at domestic and international medical scientific conferences and symposia.