Cardiologists from the University of British Columbia Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada, compared their own innovative screening protocol to that recommended by the AHA. Both protocols use 12-lead ECGs and questionnaires. However, one problem associated with the AHA questionnaire is the high rate of false positives (identifying someone as having a serious condition when he does not). A false-positive result requires extensive further testing and consultation with a cardiologist, leading to worry, secondary testing, and higher costs. The researchers’ new evidence-based questionnaire was designed to better differentiate between symptoms indicative of serious cardiac disease and those related to more benign conditions. The AHA method also involves a physical exam conducted by a physician that includes listening to the heart (auscultation).
Investigators screened more than 1400 young competitive athletes ages 12-35 years. Approximately half underwent the AHA recommended screening, and the other half the experimental protocol. Seven participants were found to have serious heart conditions, and six were identified by ECG. Only two of the seven would have been detected as the result of a medical history and physical exam.
“The current study provides further evidence to support the use of the ECG as an important tool in the screening of young competitive athletes,” explained lead investigator James McKinney, MD, MSc, of the Division of Cardiology of the University of British Columbia. “The ECG is more sensitive in detecting heart muscle problems (cardiomyopathies) and potentially life-threatening electrical disorders such as Wolff-Parkinson-White and long QT syndrome.”
“An Achilles heel of pre-participation screening has long been the unacceptably high false-positive rate and the costs associated with screening large numbers of athletes,” noted co-investigator Saul Isserow, MBBCh, of the Division of Cardiology of the University of British Columbia. In the study, the false-positive rate of the new protocol was less than half that of the AHA protocol (3.7% vs. 8.1%).
Investigators found that the physical examination was unhelpful and costly. The physical exam prompted further evaluation in 10 athletes without identifying any of the athletes who actually had heart disease and contributed to higher false-positive rates. “This is not surprising because cardiac auscultation requires years of experience and conditions during mass screening are not ideal for meticulous cardiac auscultation,” commented Michael Papadakis, MBBS, MD, and Sanjay Sharma, MBChB, MD, of St. George’s University of London in an accompanying editorial.
The research indicates that a screening protocol that includes a more specific questionnaire and ECG, but excludes a physical examination, eliminating the need for an on-site physician, would be desirable to optimize efficiency and produce important cost savings. The researchers calculate that eliminating physician costs would result in huge reductions in per person screening costs ($14.42 for new protocol vs. $97.50 for AHA protocol) and costs per diagnosis ($3,822.70 vs. $41,320.49, respectively).
“A large proportion of sudden cardiac deaths in young athletes are secondary to inherited or congenital cardiac diseases that are detectable during life and for which several therapeutic options are available to minimize the risk of death. Pre-participation screening is widely used to detect athletes at risk of exercise-related sudden cardiac death, but the optimal approach remains elusive,” added Dr. Papadakis and Dr. Sharma.
The results of this study indicate the need to harmonize the results of research findings with current practice. Still to be determined is the important question of whether screening saves lives.
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NOTES FOR EDITORS“Detecting Underlying Cardiovascular Disease in Young Competitive Athletes,” by James McKinney, MD, MSc; Daniel Lithwick, MHA; Barbara N. Morrison, BKin; Hamed Nazzari, MD, PhD; Michael Luong, MD; Christopher B. Fordyce, MD, MHS MSc, Jack Taunton, MD; Andrew D. Krahn, MD; Brett Heilbron, MBCh.B; Saul Isserow MBBCh (DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cjca.2016.06.007)Author contacts for interviews: Dr. James McKinney at +1 604-822-1751 or [email protected] Carrie Stefanson, Public Affairs Officer, Vancouver Coastal Health, at +1 604-708-5338 or [email protected]
“Editorial: Pre-participation Cardiac Screening in Young Athletes: In Search of the Golden Chalice,’” by Michael Papakadis, MBBS, MD, MRCP, Sanjay Sharma, BSc (hons), MBChB, MD, FRCP (DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cjca.2016.08.001) Author contacts for interviews: Dr Michael Papakadis at +44 208 7255939 or [email protected]Dr. Sanjay Sharma at +44 208 7255939 or [email protected]
Published online in advance of Volume 33/Issue 1 (January 2017) of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, published by Elsevier.
Full text of this article and editorial is available to credentialed journalists upon request. Contact Eileen Leahy at +1 732-238-3628 or [email protected] to obtain copies.
ABOUT THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGYThe Canadian Journal of Cardiology (www.onlinecjc.ca) is the official journal of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (www.ccs.ca). It is a vehicle for the international dissemination of new knowledge in cardiology and cardiovascular science, particularly serving as a major venue for the results of Canadian cardiovascular research and Society guidelines. The journal publishes original reports of clinical and basic research relevant to cardiovascular medicine as well as editorials, review articles, case reports, and papers on health outcomes, policy research, ethics, medical history, and political issues affecting practice.
ABOUT THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEFEditor-in-Chief Stanley Nattel, MD, is Paul-David Chair in Cardiovascular Electrophysiology and Professor of Medicine at the University of Montreal and Director of the Electrophysiology Research Program at the Montreal Heart Institute Research Center.
ABOUT THE CANADIAN CARDIOVASCULAR SOCIETYThe Canadian Cardiovascular Society is the professional association for Canadian cardiovascular physicians and scientists working to promote cardiovascular health and care through knowledge translation, professional development, and leadership in health policy. The CCS provides programs and services to its 1900+ members and others in the cardiovascular community, including guidelines for cardiovascular care, the annual Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, and, with the Canadian Cardiovascular Academy, programs for trainees. More information about the CCS and its activities can be found at www.ccs.ca.
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