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For a third year in a row, a majority of American adults are exercising as is recommended by the Center for Disease Control. As participation in organized sports and exercise continues to increase among adults, the benefits of leading an active lifestyle are showing and paying off for many by decreasing their risks of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and even a healthier mind.
However, for adults whose passion for exercise have made them into weekend warriors, for athletes who have made it a lifetime regiment to rigorously exercise, or for professional athletes who are continuing their careers, cardiovascular disease can look quite different in these highly active athletes compared with the general population. More so, exercise is known to transiently increase the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in susceptible populations.
For this reason, sports cardiology has become an increasingly important subspecialty within the discipline of cardiology. Geared toward professional and highly competitive and active athletes, sports cardiologists recognize the differences in which cardiovascular diseases present in athletes versus the general population. Years of athletic participation make diagnostic testing and treatment much more challenging in this group.
A sports cardiologist is well versed in how a specific sport leads to changes in the structure and function of the heart and cardiovascular system. This is extremely important when it comes to evaluating an athlete prior to participation and interpreting a screening EKG or evaluating an athlete with concerning cardiac symptoms. The diagnosis and treatment in these populations is much different and more challenging to interpret than that of the general cardiology patient base.
The foundation of a sports cardiologist is based in three realms; screening athletes prior to participation to ensure cardiac safety during sports participation, evaluating and treating an athlete with cardiac symptoms and helping an athlete return to participation after an athlete has been diagnosed with a cardiac condition.
It is for this purpose that a team of physicians at Memorial Healthcare System recognized an opportunity in South Florida to form the Memorial Sports Medicine Center. The service of sports cardiology is an integral part of the Memorial Sports Medicine Center program in Hollywood. The multidisciplinary program is the first in Broward and Palm Beach Counties to have a fully comprehensive adult sports medicine program that offers orthopedic surgical and rehabilitative services to adults. The sports medicine team includes physicians board-certified in orthopedic surgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, sports primary care and cardiology specializing in providing a coordinated team approach to the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of injuries suffered by recreational, amateur and professional athletes.
The main goal for cardiology treatment is to help keep you safe so you can participate in sports at your highest possible level and get back to the active lifestyle enjoyed. Enjoy the sports you have come to love, participate and meet your goals, and always listen to your heart and never dismiss symptoms.
