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June 12, 2026European Journal of Preventive CardiologyOpen Access

Among 285 athletes undergoing echocardiographic assessment, 52 (18%) required referral for further investigation, identifying previously unrecognized abnormalities including bicuspid aortic valve, ascending thoracic aortic dilatation, and aortopulmonary fistula.

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Why the study?

Does a specialist cardiovascular screening program improve the detection of structural and inherited abnormalities in adolescent athletes compared to standard pre-participation evaluation?

Population

285 adolescent athletes aged 14-17 years engaged in recreational or competitive sports who had previously…

Comparison

Specialist cardiovascular screening program… vs Prior standard cardiological evaluation

Design

Cross-sectional

Authors

APA PlevritakiSZS T Y L I A ZervakisAKA P O S T O Kamekis

Discussion

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Overview

Should not yet change screening practices in adolescent athletes; hypothesis-generating for inherited cardiac conditions.

Key Points

  • The aim is to assess the effectiveness of specialist cardiovascular screening in identifying structural and inherited heart conditions in adolescent athletes.
  • Adolescent athletes aged 14-17 underwent specialist cardiovascular assessment.
  • Data collection included family history, exertional symptoms, vital signs, and ECG.
  • Echocardiography was performed selectively based on clinical findings.
  • 285 athletes underwent echocardiographic assessment, with 52 (18%) referred for further evaluation.
  • Confirmed abnormalities included bicuspid aortic valve, ascending thoracic aortic dilatation, and several other structural heart issues.
  • Ongoing evaluations involve genetic testing and cardiac imaging for suspected cardiomyopathy.

Structured PICO

Does a specialist cardiovascular screening program improve the detection of structural and inherited abnormalities in adolescent athletes compared to standard pre-participation evaluation?

P
Population
285 adolescent athletes aged 14-17 years engaged in recreational or competitive sports who had previously undergone standard cardiological evaluation
I
Intervention
Specialist cardiovascular screening program including family history, clinical examination, 12-lead ECG, and targeted transthoracic echocardiography
C
Comparator
Prior standard cardiological evaluation (not by a specialist in sports cardiology)
O
Outcome
Detection of structural and inherited cardiovascular abnormalities requiring further evaluation

Specialist sports-focused cardiovascular screening in adolescent athletes identifies multiple previously unrecognized structural or potentially inherited abnormalities that may be missed by standard pre-participation assessments.

Cite This Study

Plevritaki et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a2bd11d6550ea4541ffe90ehttps://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwag249.007
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