Significance of extended sports cardiology screening of elite handball referees

PLoS One. 2021 Apr 9;16(4):e0249923. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249923. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

The significance of cardiology screening of referees is not well established. Cardiovascular risk factors and diseases were examined in asymptomatic Hungarian elite handball referees undergoing extended screening: personal/family history, physical examination, 12-lead ECG, laboratory tests, body-composition analysis, echocardiography, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Holter-ECG (n = 8), blood pressure monitorization (n = 10), cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR; n = 27) and computer tomography (CCT; n = 4) were also carried out if needed. We examined 100 referees (age: 29.6±7.9years, male: 64, training: 4.3±2.0 hours/week), cardiovascular risk factors were: positive medical history: 24%, overweight: 10%, obesity: 3%, dyslipidaemia: 41%. Elevated resting blood pressure was measured in 38%. Stress-ECG was positive due to ECG-changes in 16%, due to elevated exercise blood pressure in 8%. Echocardiography and/or CMR identified abnormalities in 19%. A significant number of premature ventricular contractions was found on the Holter-ECG in two cases. The CCT showed myocardial bridge or coronary plaques in one-one case. We recommended lifestyle changes in 58%, new/modified antihypertensive or lipid-lowering therapy in 5%, iron-supplementation in 22%. By our results, a high percentage of elite Hungarian handball referees had cardiovascular risk factors or diseases, which, combined with physical and psychological stress, could increase the possibility of cardiovascular events. Our study draws attention to the importance of cardiac screening in elite handball referees.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Blood Pressure
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / physiopathology
  • Creatine Kinase / blood
  • Electrocardiography
  • Exercise Test
  • Female
  • Heart / diagnostic imaging
  • Heart / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Life Style
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Myocardial Contraction / physiology
  • Risk Factors
  • Sports*
  • Stress, Physiological
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Creatine Kinase

Grants and funding

OK, AK, HV, CsC, BM: This project was supported by a grant from the National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH) of Hungary (K 120277). MB: The project was also supported by the ÚNKP-19-2-I-SE-81 New National Excellence Program of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology of Hungary. All authors: The research was financed by the Research Excellence Programme of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology in Hungary, within the framework of the Bioimaging thematic programme of the Semmelweis University (2020-4.1.1.-TKP2020). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.