Cardiovascular Imaging Considerations for Masters-Aged Athletes.
| Title: | Cardiovascular Imaging Considerations for Masters-Aged Athletes. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Phelan DM; Gragg Center for Cardiovascular Performance, Atrium Health, Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.; Claessen G; Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Biomedical Research Institute, Limburg Clinical Research Centre, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium; Hasselt Heart Center, Jessa Hospital, Hasselt, Belgium; Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.; Eijsvogels TMH; Department of Medical BioSciences, Exercise Physiology Research Group, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.; Churchill TW; Cardiovascular Performance Program and Demoulas Center for Cardiac Arrhythmias, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.; Dineen EH; Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.; Gati S; Royal Brompton Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' National Health Service Foundation Trust and National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom.; Guseh JS 2nd; Cardiovascular Performance Program and Demoulas Center for Cardiac Arrhythmias, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.; Hsu JJ; Department of Medicine, University of California in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.; Shah AB; Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA; Sports and Performance Cardiology LLC, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA.; Sperry BW; Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.; Wasfy MM; Cardiovascular Performance Program and Demoulas Center for Cardiac Arrhythmias, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.; La Gerche A; Heart, Exercise & Research Trials Lab, St Vincent's Institute/Victor Chang Cardiovascular Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Cardiology, St Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy, Australia.; Martinez MW; Sports Cardiology and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center, Atlantic Health System, Morristown Medical Center, Morristown, New Jersey, USA.; Papadakis M; City St George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom; St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom; Cleveland Clinic London, London, United Kingdom.; Baggish AL; Department of Cardiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne Switzerland.; Kim JH; Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Electronic address: jonathan.kim@emory.edu. |
| Corporate Authors: | American College of Cardiology Sports and Exercise Cardiology Council |
| Source: | JACC. Cardiovascular imaging [JACC Cardiovasc Imaging] 2026 Apr; Vol. 19 (4), pp. 538-550. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Dec 01. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article; Review |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: Elsevier Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101467978 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1876-7591 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 18767591 NLM ISO Abbreviation: JACC Cardiovasc Imaging Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: New York : Elsevier |
| MeSH Terms: | Cardiovascular Diseases*/physiopathology ; Cardiovascular Diseases*/diagnostic imaging ; Cardiovascular Diseases*/therapy ; Athletes* ; Cardiac Imaging Techniques* ; Multimodal Imaging*; Humans ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Age Factors ; Prognosis ; Middle Aged ; Risk Assessment ; Adult ; Male ; Female ; Risk Factors |
| Abstract: | Masters athletes (MAs), defined as individuals ≥35 years of age who are engaged in competitive or high-volume recreational sports or exercise training, comprise a growing group regularly cared for in sports cardiology. The cardiovascular care of MAs can be challenging because many of the classical tenets in sports cardiology and exercise physiology were derived from young, competitive athletes and therefore do not fully generalize to the care of MAs. Appropriate implementation of multimodality cardiovascular imaging is essential to guide the risk stratification and clinical management of MAs. In this state-of-the-art review, physiological and pathologic considerations unique to MAs are highlighted. The strengths and limitations of specific cardiovascular imaging modalities are reviewed along with guidance on their appropriate use in the care of MAs. The purpose of this document is to represent the first primary reference on best practice considerations for the use of multimodality cardiovascular imaging in the care of MAs.; (Copyright © 2026 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.) |
| Competing Interests: | Funding Support and Author Disclosures Dr Dineen has received research funding from the Miami Heart Research Institute. Dr Shah has received consulting fees from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and MedStar Health; has served on the Bristol Myers Squibb Speakers Bureau; and has served as an advisor to Fourth Frontier. Dr Sperry has received consulting fees from Spectrum Dynamics. Dr La Gerche has received support from a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Investigator Grant (APP 2027105). Dr Papadakis has received research grants from Cardiac Risk in the Young; and consulting fees from Bristol Myers Squibb. Dr Baggish has received research funding from the American Heart Association and The National Football League Players Association; consulting fees from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Centers, the U.S. Soccer Federation, and Lidl-Trek Cycling; and meeting travel costs from the Fédération Internationale de Football Association and World Rowing. Dr Kim has received research funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Football League Players Association, and the Atlanta Track Club; and compensation for his role as team cardiologist for the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks, and Atlanta United. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose. |
| Grant Information: | K23 HL159262 United States HL NHLBI NIH HHS |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: cardiovascular disease; cardiovascular imaging; masters athletes; multi-modality imaging |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20251201 Date Completed: 20260408 Latest Revision: 20260520 |
| Update Code: | 20260520 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC13186596 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.jcmg.2025.10.024 |
| PMID: | 41324521 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
Journal Article; Review