Sports and cardiac health: Listen to your heart

Regular exercise is one of the most effective methods to keep the heart healthy and efficient. In rare cases, however, there are reports of athletes collapsing mid-game due to cardiac arrest. And while exercise is generally also a key part of the rehabilitation process for those who’ve experienced cardiac events, caution should still be taken. This is where physician input is important, and where testing and regular monitoring can be implemented to reduce the risk of further events.

Today, we’re joined by experts in the fields of sports cardiology and exercise physiology, as well as an athlete with firsthand experience in the matter, to draw attention to the topic of cardiac health and how it pertains to sports medicine. 

In this episode, host Myra Cocker, Assistant Professor of Cardiology at Houston Methodist Hospital and Global Director of Clinical Science for Cardiovascular Ultrasound at Siemens Healthineers, welcomes Dr. Jonathan Kim, Associate Professor and Founding Director at Emory University Sports Cardiology and Team Cardiologist for Georgia Tech, the Atlanta Falcons, Hawks, and Braves; as well as Dr. Dominique Hansen, Professor of Rehabilitation and Exercise Physiology in Cardiometabolic Diseases at Universiteit Hasselt in Belgium and Secretary of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology; and retired professional soccer player and cardiology patient Daniel Engelbrecht.  

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How cardiac risk can affect older and younger elite athletes differently
• Cardiac events can stem from myocarditis, caused by an infectious disease.
• Red flag symptoms when it comes to cardiac events while exercising, including intense chest pressure or loss of consciousness
• The use of Automated External Defibrillators is a critical first response strategy in the event of cardiac arrest.
• Implementation of an exercise program can be essential when treating a patient who has experienced, or is at risk for, cardiovascular disease.
• For patients who have suffered from major cardiac events, their timeline for return to sports or intense physical activity is heavily dependent on a number of individual factors.

Connect with Myra Cocker

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Connect with Jonathan Kim

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Connect with Dominique Hansen

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Connect with Daniel Engelbrecht

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