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(804) 628-4327Sports Cardiology
Keeping the hearts of athletes and active people healthy
Maintaining a healthy heart can be one of the benefits of being active. Yet, if you are an athlete or just trying to stay active, it’s important to understand how certain conditions can affect your heart.
Our sports cardiology team understands the physical demands placed on athletes and the importance of staying heart healthy, fit and competitive. We have expertise in several subspecialties, including structural heart disease, arrhythmia, chest pain, congenital conditions (conditions present at birth), genetic conditions (conditions passed down in families) and more. We also work with pulmonology, endocrinology, nephrology and primary care to ensure an athlete does not have undiagnosed anemia, thyroid disorder or metabolic disease.
Heart care for every condition
As an athlete – or a weekend warrior – your heart health is important. Our approach is to help you pursue your athletic career, safely participate in your favorite sports or enjoy your exercise routine with little risk to your heart. We understand exercise physiology, the demands of sports performance and the importance of understanding how your specific body responds to physical activity over the long term.
Whether you have no history of cardiovascular disease or are diagnosed with a heart condition, you can trust our expert team to help you reduce your risk or manage your symptoms. The sports cardiology program sees patients experiencing:
- Chest pain
- Palpitations
- Feelings of lightheadedness
- Difficulty breathing
- Unexplained swelling and weight gain
We also screen athletes for undiagnosed heart conditions that, if left untreated, can cause serious problems.
We treat common and rare conditions that affect people with diagnosed and undiagnosed cardiovascular conditions. Those conditions include:
- Atherosclerosis, a common cause of sudden cardiac arrest
- Chest pain during or after exercise
- Congenital heart or vascular disease such as ventricular septal defect (a hole in the heart)
- Family history of sudden cardiac death
- Heart palpitations and cardiac arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation
- Heart valve disease, including aortic stenosis and mitral regurgitation
- Hypertension, a common condition in physically active people
- Inherited diseases such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and diseases of the aorta
- Obstructive coronary artery disease
- Structural heart disease
Treatments and services to meet your needs
We offer complete heart care and physiologic testing for all ages and activity levels. Our sports cardiology services focus on your heart health – keeping you safe and healthy, uncovering hidden conditions, treating an existing heart problem and helping you return to the activities you enjoy.
Whether you could benefit from an evaluation, diagnostic screening or treatment, we understand that athletes’ heart health needs are different from those of the general population. Because of this, we develop a plan that is specific to your needs and athletic goals.
Our evaluation process
Our specialized team conducts a physical exam, including understanding your personal and family medical history, any current symptoms you are experiencing and a complete sports activity history. We offer complete heart care and physiologic testing for all levels of athletes.
- Pre-screening for exercise participation
- Evaluation of heart symptoms
- Genetic testing to determine if an inherited heart condition is causing symptoms
- Imaging and testing services including cardiac MRI, CT, CPET, ambulatory rhythm monitoring and maximal exercise testing
- Integrated and coordinated services with pulmonology, primary care, endocrinology and nephrology
- Noninvasive and surgical approaches to treat heart conditions, including heart valve repair
- Risk assessment for sudden cardiac death
- Sports eligibility and exercise prescriptions for athletes as well as clearances for sports participation
- Cardiac rehabilitation for those recovering from a cardiac event or treatment
Your Athletic Heart and COVID-19
Read about the athlete's heart and COVID-19
COVID-19 has shown that it can have a lasting impact on the heart. What does this mean if you had COVID-19 and want to resume jogging, hiking, doing yoga and other activities?
Cardiologists are studying the issue as pro sports restart with new health and safety precautions. But the concern transcends sports. In a small study published by The Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found abnormalities in the hearts of 3 in 4 people who had recently recovered from COVID-19 and “ongoing myocardial inflammation” in more than half.
Join Dr. Naveed Naz as we explore this topic and other research during this recorded seminar.
Meet Our Team
Naser Abdelhadi, MD
Cardiology
Rachel Ashley, AGPCNP
Cardiology
Shannon Brennan, AGPCNP
Cardiology
Phillip Duncan, MD
Cardiology
Carly Fuller, PA
Cardiology
Emily Hulburt Baker, AGACNP
CardiologyCardio-Oncology
Dorothy A McCormick, MSN, AGACNP, PCCN
Cardiology
Alecia Mehra, AGACNP
Cardiology
Sasa Mitrovic, AGACNP
Cardiology
Naveed A Naz, MD
Cardiology
Jordan Ralston, AGACNP
Cardiology
