• Athlete's heart
• Cardiology

Sports cardiology is a rapidly evolving medical subspecialty with an overarching aim of providing comprehensive clinical cardiovascular care for competitive athletes and highly active patients. In Europe, the USA and beyond, a growing number of cardiologists are dedicating themselves to the acquisition of the specific skills required to optimally care for this unique population. At the most fundamental level, effective sports cardiology requires partnership with other members of the athlete care team including team physicians, sports medicine specialist, athletic trainers and coaches. In no setting is the importance of these partnerships more critical, than in the arena of preparticipation cardiovascular screening (PPCS). For several decades, professional governance bodies charged with overseeing the cardiovascular care of athletes have universally recommended PPCS based on the notion that detection and subsequent management of occult cardiovascular diseases has the potential to reduce the incidence of sudden death during athletic participation.1 ,2 Despite near universal endorsement by cardiovascular and sports medicine organisations, PPCS remains shrouded in controversy. Key unresolved issues including the …