Posted on 01/19/2017

International Organizations Endorse AMSSM Position Statement on Cardiovascular Screening

LEAWOOD, KS -- Multiple international medical societies have endorsed the "AMSSM Position Statement on Cardiovascular Preparticipation Screening in Athletes: Current Evidence, Knowledge Gaps, Recommendations and Future Directions."

The position statement appears in the February 2017 edition of the British Journal of Sports Medicine and presents several new paradigm shifts in our thinking about cardiovascular screening in athletes. It represents a reassessment of our current standard, recognition of the differential risk of sudden cardiac arrest and death (SCA/D) in different athlete populations, a new framework to assist physicians when considering a screening ECG and respect for physician autonomy to choose the most appropriate screening strategy. Developed by an expert panel of primary care sports medicine physicians representing all perspectives on cardiovascular screening, the statement provides a balanced assessment of the current evidence and knowledge gaps regarding cardiovascular screening in athletes. The position statement was previously published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine and Current Sports Medicine Reports.

Following its release, AMSSM’s position statement has been endorsed by the following international medical societies:

  • British Association for Sports and Exercise Medicine
  • Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine
  • European College of Sports and Exercise Physicians
  • South African Sports Medicine Association
  • Sports Doctors Australia
  • Swiss Sports Medicine Society

“This is a wonderful credit to the work of the writing group and our proposed framework regarding the primary considerations for choosing a cardiovascular screening strategy,” said Jonathan Drezner, MD, lead author and co-chair of the statement and an AMSSM Past President. Fran O’Connor, MD, MPH, an AMSSM Past President, served as co-chair of the statement.

The position statement can be viewed by visiting the AMSSM website, http://www.amssm.org/Publications.html.

SOURCE: AMSSM

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