This post was authored by Rachel Lampert, MD, FACC, associate professor of medicine, Section of Cardiology/Electrophysiology at Yale University School of Medicine, and member of the ACC’s Sports and Exercise Cardiology section leadership council.

ACC.14 is almost here, and there will be a lot of exciting presentations for the sports-and-exercise-minded. While sports and exercise is not a “pathway” this year as it was last year, an itinerary of sports and exercise programming can be found through the sports “practice focus” topic on the ACC.14 eMeeting Planner App and online program planner.

Kicking-off the sports and exercise cardiology topics on Saturday morning will be a look at “Core Competencies in Sports and Exercise:  A Whole New Ballgame.” As the importance of sports cardiology as an autonomous subspecialty moves toward recognition, defining core competencies is a key part of the process. Lectures in this session will go over the basics of what a sports cardiologist needs to know—exercise physiology, evaluation of the athlete from basic history and physical through advanced imaging modalities, supplements in athletes, and a thoughtful look at what participation guidelines can and can’t deliver. A moderated poster session will also take place Saturday morning titled, “Novel Observations in Athletes.” Saturday afternoon, those interested in sports and exercise cardiology can attend a lively debate on whether or not athletes with implantable cardioverter defibrillators should be participating in sports (full disclosure—I am one of the debaters and was somewhat dismayed to be assigned the antagonist role). A series of cases with discussions by expert panelists will also take place. Of note, a case of cardiac arrest in an 18-year-old basketball player will generate discussion of the long-term risks of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Capping off the session with a “wow” will be a presentation by Rob Huizenga, MD – also known as “Dr. H” on the reality TV show The Biggest Loser, and the former team physician for the LA Raiders – who will talk about “Exercise in Obese Patients:  From Pro Football Lineman to Biggest Loser Contestants—Size Doesn’t Matter.”

Sunday morning will start with a “year in review” followed by an oral abstract session – a great way to get the highlights of the year’s research in one session.  Attendees will also hear about new findings on benefits and physiological effects of intense and endurance exercise. Case-based learning, one of the most popular sports-related sessions last year, will continue on Sunday afternoon with a focus on valvular heart disease.  Cases will include a swimmer and a cyclist with aortic regurgitation, and another cyclist with pulmonic insufficiency, as well as a basketball player with subaortic stenosis. In a session on Sunday afternoon focusing on exercise in geriatric cardiology, speakers will take on “The Challenge of Exercise in My Very Old Patients,” from the now-aging lifelong athlete, to the frail elderly who wish to begin an exercise program. A poster session Sunday afternoon will highlight research on physiological and psychological impacts of exercise.

Lastly, Monday will address the controversial subject of cardiac screening in athletes and youth. A poster session on Monday morning will showcase new screening-related research. Monday afternoon’s program will start with Jonathan Kaltman, MD, of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) who will discuss the NIH perspective on sudden cardiac arrest in youth and how to prevent it, followed by a discussion of “ECG screening:  State of the Data and What do we Need” that will suggest a roadmap to getting the data needed to answer this important question.  Whether local programs are “ready for prime time” or not will be the subject of a heated debate during the session, and the session will conclude with a presentation from a sports cardiologist from Italy on their longstanding and successful screening program.

Overall, there certainly is a lot to look forward to at the end of March (in addition to putting the polar vortex behind us)!

This post is part of a series of posts from the ACC’s Sports and Exercise Cardiology Section. For more information about the Section, click here.  

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