Sports cardiology

What is sports cardiology?

Our internationally renowned sports cardiology service at Harefield Hospital and Wimpole Street Consulting Rooms and Diagnostic Centre is home to a multidisciplinary team who can help you reach your performance goals, whether in competitive sports or for leisure. 

We assess a wide range of issues that can affect exercise performance and safety, including coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, and provide both heart and exercise respiratory expertise. 

Led by internationally recognised experts, our sports cardiology service supports active people of all ages. 

What is sports cardiology?

Sports cardiology is the field of heart care related to professional and recreational athletes. Whether you’re a seasoned sports player or simply enjoy keeping fit, exercise has many well-recognised health benefits. It reduces the risk of heart problems and improves mental and physical wellbeing.  

However, strenuous physical activity or exercising with a heart problem can put harmful strain on the body if physical limits are exceeded. By undertaking an advanced personalised assessment of your heart, our specialists can develop a tailored exercise plan to help you stay active in sports and exercise safely.  

If you meet the criteria below, you may benefit from getting a private heart check with one of our sports cardiologists:  

• you are over 35 with known heart disease and would like help in achieving your exercise performance goals  
• you are over 35 and would like to exercise more intensely but are at risk of heart disease. For example, you are smoker or former smoker, or have a sedentary lifestyle. High cholesterol or blood pressure, and conditions such as diabetes can also increase your risk

Should you exercise with heart problems?

The European Society of Cardiology recommends that people with heart problems exercise to help strengthen your heart and extend life expectancy. All healthy adults are encouraged to complete at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week. Moderate intensity exercise means increasing your heart and breathing rate but still being able to hold a conversation. 

However, there is a very small risk that existing heart problems could trigger a sudden cardiac arrest. People that were previously not physically active or who have advanced heart disease are most at risk. 

If you have heart disease, it is important to talk to one our specialists before starting any kind of physical activity. This includes competitive exercise as well as leisurely activities. They will be able to assess the condition of your heart and guide on how to exercise safely. 

If you would like to discuss your heart health before starting or returning to exercise, get in touch to book an appointment.

What heart conditions can we diagnose? 

Our team of specialists includes world-leading experts in cardiology, cardiac surgery, and medical imaging. They collaborate to diagnose and treat different heart conditions that can affect exercise performance. 

These include: 

• structural heart problems present at birth (congenital heart disease) 
• electrical heart diseases, such as atrial fibrillation 
• heart disease that appears later in life, such as coronary heart disease 
• conditions that can put a strain on the heart, such as diabetes, hypercholesterolemia (high blood cholesterol) and hypertension (high blood pressure) 
• diseases that affect the blood vessels of the body and prevent blood flowing as it should, called ‘vascular disease’ 

In addition to sports cardiologists, our team of experts also includes consultants in exercise respiratory physiology. This allows us to review heart and lung problems together in relation to exercise, and to provide tailored treatment based on this. 

Contact our customer care team to learn more about booking an appointment with one of our sports cardiologists.

Heart screening for all athletes 

Many professional athletes get their hearts checked regularly as part of their training. This lowers their risk of developing a serious problem while competing. However, as a non-professional but active person you may not necessarily think to get your heart checked. 

Exercise can put a strain on the heart without appropriate preparation. This includes training for an endurance running event like a 5k run, playing tennis or swimming at weekends. 

If you are over the age of 40, you are at higher risk of coronary heart disease, one of the most common causes of exercise-related heart problems, and many people aren’t aware they have it. 

Risk factors for coronary heart disease include smoking, a family history of heart attacks and high blood cholesterol. It can also include conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure.  

Contact our customer care team to make an appointment with one of our specialists. 

What does a sports cardiology assessment include?

Our sports cardiology assessments start with an initial consultation with one of our world-leading cardiologists. This helps them understand your level of heart risk during exercise. 

An initial consultation costs £250. 

If you require diagnostics tests for your heart following your initial consultation, these will be tailored to your needs. They can include: 

• an electrocardiogram (ECG) to check the rhythm of your heart 
• an echocardiogram (echo) which is an ultrasound scan to check the structures of your heart 
• an exercise stress test which checks how your heart works during physical activity 
• a cardiac MRI, which is a more detailed evaluation of your heart’s structures. This helps check if there is scarring in the heart muscle

Benefits of a cardiac MRI scan 

If your ECG and echocardiogram suggest that your heart has an underlying abnormality, our sports cardiology specialists might suggest a cardiac MRI scan. Our consultants have expertise in both performing and interpreting cardiac MRIs, setting us apart from other sports cardiology specialists in London. Sometimes, they may recommend a cardiac MRI first, instead of an echocardiogram, for a fast and accurate diagnosis. 

Cardiac MRIs can be more effective at picking up certain heart conditions, such as hypertrophic myopathy, and can also provide good detail on inflammation and myocardial scarring, which is not always detected by ECGs or echocardiograms.

Holistic care for recreational and professional athletes 

Our specialists provide comprehensive care for patients using our sports cardiology service, from diagnosing heart conditions and carrying out scans to offering ongoing advice and support. We take a holistic approach to treatment by managing cardiac conditions, developing personalised exercise plans, and considering the role of diet and nutrition in overall heart health. 

We also recognise the emotional impact that a cardiac diagnosis can have, particularly for athletes whose training or participation in sport may need to change. For many people, stepping away from the sport they love can be incredibly challenging. That’s why supporting patients’ mental wellbeing is an important part of the care we provide. Where appropriate, we can also refer patients for specialist counselling to help them throughout their treatment and recovery. 

To find out more about what our consultants offer as part of our sports cardiology assessment package, please contact our customer care team. 

Results

Our sports cardiology specialists can provide the results of your sports cardiology assessment within a few days. How long your results take can depend on factors such as: 

• how complex your scans and tests are 
• whether the results need to be compared with any previous test results you have 
• whether the cardiologist requires additional information to interpret the results 

Once the results are ready, you can discuss them with your consultant in person or over the telephone. If a treatment or intervention is required as a result of the test identifying a heart condition, our consultant will talk you through the next steps.