Skip to main content
Log in

The Grey Zone and the Complexity of Clinical Decisions in Sports Cardiology

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We present here three different clinical scenarios that illustrate the complexity of taking decisions in sports cardiology. Despite the availability of consensus documents, in clinical practice, decision-making process is most of the times in the grey zone.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Drezner, J. A., Sharma, S., Baggish, A., Papadakis, M., Wilson, M. G., Prutkin, J. M., et al. (2017). International criteria for electrocardiographic interpretation in athletes: Consensus statement. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 51(9), 704–731. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-097331.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Maron, B. J., Udelson, J. E., Bonow, R. O., Nishimura, R. A., Ackerman, M. J., Estes, N. A. M., … Maron, M. S. (2015). Eligibility and disqualification recommendations for competitive athletes with cardiovascular abnormalities: Task force 3: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy and other cardiomyopathies, and myocarditis: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology. Circulation. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000239

  3. Pelliccia, A., Solberg, E. E., Papadakis, M., Adami, P. E., Biffi, A., Caselli, S., et al. (2019). Recommendations for participation in competitive and leisure time sport in athletes with cardiomyopathies, myocarditis, and pericarditis: Position statement of the sport cardiology section of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC). European Heart Journal, 40(1), 19–33. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehy730.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Thompson, P. D., Myerburg, R. J., Levine, B. D., Udelson, J. E., & Kovacs, R. J. (2015). Eligibility and disqualification recommendations for competitive athletes with cardiovascular abnormalities: Task force 8: coronary artery disease: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology. Circulation, 132(22), e310–e314. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000244.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Borjesson, M., Dellborg, M., Niebauer, J., LaGerche, A., Schmied, C., Solberg, E. E., et al. (2018). Recommendations for participation in leisure time or competitive sports in athletes-patients with coronary artery disease: A position statement from the Sports Cardiology Section of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC). European Heart Journal, 40(1), 13–18. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehy408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Aschieri, D., Penela, D., Pelizzoni, V., Guerra, F., Vermi, A. C., Rossi, L., et al. (2018). Outcomes after sudden cardiac arrest in sports centres with and without on-site external defibrillators. Heart, 104(16), 1344–1349. https://doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2017-312441.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Kinoshi, T., Tanaka, S., Sagisaka, R., Hara, T., Shirakawa, T., Sone, E., et al. (2018, August 2). Mobile automated external defibrillator response system during road races. New England Journal of Medicine. Massachussetts Medical Society. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMc1803218.

  8. Schumm, J., Greulich, S., Wagner, A., Grün, S., Ong, P., Bentz, K., et al. (2014). Cardiovascular magnetic resonance risk stratification in patients with clinically suspected myocarditis. Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1532-429X-16-14.

  9. Becker, M. A. J., Cornel, J. H., van de Ven, P. M., van Rossum, A. C., Allaart, C. P., & Germans, T. (2018). The prognostic value of late gadolinium-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy: A review and meta-analysis. JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging, 11(9), 1274–1284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcmg.2018.03.006.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Gräni, C., Eichhorn, C., Bière, L., Murthy, V. L., Agarwal, V., Kaneko, K., et al. (2017). Prognostic value of cardiac magnetic resonance tissue characterization in risk stratifying patients with suspected myocarditis. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 70(16), 1964–1976. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2017.08.050.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Aquaro, G. D., Perfetti, M., Camastra, G., Monti, L., Dellegrottaglie, S., Moro, C., et al. (2017). Cardiac MR with late gadolinium enhancement in acute myocarditis with preserved systolic function: ITAMY Study. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 70(16), 1977–1987. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2017.08.044.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Schnell, F., Claessen, G., La Gerche, A., Bogaert, J., Lentz, P. A., Claus, P., et al. (2016). Subepicardial delayed gadolinium enhancement in asymptomatic athletes: Let sleeping dogs lie? British Journal of Sports Medicine, 50(2), 111–117. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2014-094546.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Zorzi, A., Marra, M. P., Rigato, I., De Lazzari, M., Susana, A., Niero, A., et al. (2016). Nonischemic left ventricular scar as a substrate of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in competitive athletes. Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, 9(7). https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCEP.116.004229.

  14. Erbel, R., Aboyans, V., Boileau, C., Bossone, E., Di Bartolomeo, R., Eggebrecht, H., et al. (2014). 2014 ESC guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of aortic diseases. European Heart Journal, 35(41), 2873–2926. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehu281.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Boraita, A., Heras, M. E., Morales, F., Marina-Breysse, M., Canda, A., Rabadan, M., et al. (2016). Reference values of aortic root in male and female white elite athletes according to sport. Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, 9(10). https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.116.005292.

  16. Baumgartner, H., Falk, V., Bax, J. J., De Bonis, M., Hamm, C., Holm, P. J., et al. (2017). 2017 ESC/EACTS Guidelines for the management of valvular heart disease. European Heart Journal, 38. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehx391.

  17. Pelliccia, A., Caselli, S., Sharma, S., Basso, C., Bax, J. J., Corrado, D., et al. (2018, June 1). European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) and European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) joint position statement: Recommendations for the indication and interpretation of cardiovascular imaging in the evaluation of the athlete’s heart. European Heart Journal. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehx532.

  18. Bonow, R. O., Nishimura, R. A., Thompson, P. D., & Udelson, J. E. (2015). Eligibility and disqualification recommendations for competitive athletes with cardiovascular abnormalities: Task Force 5: Valvular heart disease: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 66(21), 2385–2392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2015.09.037.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Braverman, A. C., Harris, K. M., Kovacs, R. J., & Maron, B. J. (2015). Eligibility and disqualification recommendations for competitive athletes with cardiovascular abnormalities: Task force 7: Aortic diseases, including Marfan syndrome: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 66(21), 2398–2405 10.1 1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Boraita, A., Morales-Acuna, F., Marina-Breysse, M., Heras, M. E., Canda, A., Fuentes, M. E., et al. (2019). Bicuspid aortic valve behaviour in elite athletes. European Heart Journal Cardiovascular Imaging, 20(7), 772–780. https://doi.org/10.1093/ehjci/jez001.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to María Alcocer-Ayuga, Zigor Madaria or Mari Dolores Masia.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

Consent to Publish

The participants have consented to the submission of the case reports to the journal.

Additional information

Associate Editor Domingo A. Pascual-Figal oversaw the review of this article

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Alcocer-Ayuga, M., Madaria, Z., Masia, M.D. et al. The Grey Zone and the Complexity of Clinical Decisions in Sports Cardiology. J. of Cardiovasc. Trans. Res. 13, 339–344 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12265-020-10046-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12265-020-10046-z

Keywords

Navigation