Pre-participation Evaluation for Screening of Health Risks in Leisure and Young Competitive Athletes

There seems to be a lack of consensus among medical associations, professional sports bodies and medical professionals about when pre-participation evaluations (PPE) are indicated and how they should be designed. Although it is generally accepted that the primary purpose of the PPE is the identification of cardiovascular disease and risk factors for sudden cardiac death in competitive athletes, there is an ongoing debate on which methods are most apt in the screening process. Furthermore, the need of PPE has been questioned all together in leisure or hobby athletes. Nevertheless, many recreational sportsmen or leisure athletes will seek advice from their medical providers before engaging in an exercise program, and competitive athletes may be required to undergo screening for underlying medical conditions and risk of sudden cardiac death before each sports season (depending on the sports association and country of origin). It is therefore important for clinicians – and for sports doctors in particular – to be aware of current guidelines for identifying high-risk individuals who may require a more thorough evaluation before beginning an exercise program or before the game season. Hence, the objective is to review guidelines regarding PPE as a method for screening health risks, especially sudden cardiovascular death, prior to participation in exercise and sports. For an in-depth description and the SGSM Consensus refer to SSEM 2/2019.