Top in cardiology: ECG screening for young athletes; rural US lacks cardiologists
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Several sports cardiologists shared their thoughts with Healio on whether ECG screening should be part of a pre-participation exam for young athletes.
One expert called the screening ECG “vital” for sports cardiologists to gain the objective information they need to ensure athletes understand inherent risks tailored to their personal health profiles.
Eli M. Friedman, MD, medical director of sports cardiology at Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida, noted that the debate over ECG screening should no longer be focused on whether it should be used.
“The question organizations must now answer is whether their ECG screening program is up to the contemporary standard of screening to identify and risk-stratify,” he said.
Experts also discussed some of the challenges that ECG screening presents, such as a high rate of false-positives and significant costs.
It was the top story in cardiology last week.
In another top story, researchers found that nearly half of U.S. counties — almost all of which are rural — lack cardiologists.
“Our findings really highlight the critical need to find ways to mitigate deep disparities to improve cardiovascular disease outcomes for Americans living in rural and disadvantaged areas,” Haider J. Warraich, MD, director of the heart failure program at VA Boston Healthcare and associate physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said in a press release.
Read these and more top stories in cardiology below:
At Issue: ECG screening as part of the pre-participation exam for young athletes
Pre-participation screening, particularly whether an ECG should be included as part of a pre-participation exam for young athletes, is one of the most widely debated topics in sports cardiology. Read more.
Half of US counties, mostly rural, lack any cardiologists
Nearly half of U.S. counties lack cardiologists, almost all of which are rural, with lower household income and higher prevalence of CV risk factors, according to a research letter published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Read more.
Mediterranean diet could lower BP, atherogenic lipids for children and adolescents
Switching to a Mediterranean diet during childhood and adolescence was associated with modest reductions in BP and an improved profile, which may extend to better heart health during adulthood, researchers reported. Read more.
Q&A: Women less likely than men to receive guideline-directed care during heart surgery
Three studies published recently indicate that women who undergo heart surgery are less likely to receive guideline-directed care and more likely to have poor outcomes compared with men. Read more.
Sleep apnea, especially at a young age, elevates odds for heart disease
Adults with obstructive sleep apnea had elevated odds of developing various heart-related health conditions compared with those without it, and the association was strongest in younger individuals, researchers reported. Read more.