St. Luke’s Sports Cardiology Program offers a full range of services designed for professional athletes, recreational exercisers and weekend warriors.
Sports Cardiology patients benefit from the collaboration of our multidisciplinary team that includes doctors within sports cardiology as well as specialty cardiologists from the St. Luke’s Heart and Vascular Center.
We use a multidisciplinary team approach to customize care for each and every patient, factoring in their age, medical history and any needed cardiovascular testing.
Who Should See a Sports Cardiologist?
Sports cardiology patients include athletes or active individuals with:
- Symptoms of cardiovascular disease, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, syncope or change in exercise capacity. Patients may or may not have a previous diagnosis of cardiovascular disease.
- A history of cardiovascular disease who are seeking guidance and reassurance in managing their cardiovascular disease and exercise goals.
- Results from recent screening tests (e.g., ECG and echocardiogram) who are seeking further interpretation or a second opinion.
Sports Cardiology Services
Our Sports Cardiology Program provides comprehensive evaluation and treatment recommendations for athletes of all ages and all levels. Our doctors work with patients to understand the full spectrum of each patient’s needs and provide targeted services, including:
- Pre-screening for exercise participation
- Evaluation of potential cardiac symptoms
- Evaluation of changes in athletic performance, including cardiopulmonary testing, cardiovascular testing, and review of medications
- Referrals to other subspecialties as needed
- Risk assessment for sudden cardiac death
- Evaluation of older people who wish to return to athletic activity
We collaborate with other specialties including Orthopedics, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Our Multidisciplinary Sports Cardiology Team includes:
- Cardiovascular medicine
- Sports health
- Vascular surgery
- Genetic counseling
- Pulmonary medicine
- Nutrition
- Psychology
- Exercise physiology
- Cardiothoracic surgery
Our team provides extensive expertise in the following areas:
- Syncope (loss of consciousness) or near syncope during or after physical exertion
- Chest pain, pressure or discomfort experienced during or after physical exertion
- Excessive fatigue or shortness of breath on exertion
- Heart palpitations and cardiac arrhythmic conditions, including supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), Wolff Parkinson White (WPW) syndrome, atrial fibrillation, premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), and ventricular tachycardia
- ECG/EKG abnormalities
- Inherited cardiomyopathies
- Athlete’s heart condition (within normal physiology) changes