Heart specialists call for cardiovascular screening for all young competitiv...( were scarce. However his research tea...)

The consensus group recommends that screening should start around the age of 12 to 14 and be repeated at least every two years. It should involve complete personal and family history, a physical examination that includes blood pressure measurement and a 12-lead ECG. It should be performed by a physician with specific training who could reliably identify clinical symptoms and signs associated with cardiovascular diseases responsible for exercise-related sudden death. Those who tested positive according to set criteria should be referred for more extensive tests, and if that confirmed suspicions, barred from competition and training.

"From all the evidence that we have from 25 years experience in Italy, we can state unequivocally that screening is warranted," said Dr Corrado. "It is ethically and clinically justifiable to make every effort to recognise in good time the diseases that put these athletes and risk, and to reduce fatalities.

"Screening of large athletic populations will have significant socio-economic impact and its implementation across Europe will depend on the different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds as well as on the specific medical systems in place in different countries. However, experience in Italy indicates that the proposed screening design is made feasible because of the limited cost of 12-lead ECG in a mass screening setting.

"The cost in Italy of screening, aside from equipment and training, is around 30 including the ECG and is covered by the athlete or his team, except for the under 18s for whom there is National Health System support. Although the protocol is at present difficult to implement in all European countries, we hope that the succ
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Contact: Margaret Willson
m.willson@mwcommunications.org.uk
44-1-536-772-181
European Society of Cardiology
1-Feb-2005