Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41947397›Full record

ArticleEuropean heart journal2026

Masters athletes with abnormal cardiovascular findings: a clinical consensus statement of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology of the ESC and the American College of Cardiology.

Thijs M H Eijsvogels, Jonathan H Kim, Vincent L Aengevaeren, Flavio D'Ascenzi, Tim W Churchill, Elizabeth H Dineen, María Sanz-de la Garza, Sabiha Gati, Geza Halasz, Kristina Haugaa and 13 more

Abstract readConsensus Statement
In one paragraph

Article in European heart journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

23 authors.

Thijs M H EijsvogelsDepartment of Medical BioSciences (route 928), Exercise Physiology Research Group, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, Nijmegen, HB 6500, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-0747-4471
Jonathan H KimEmory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 1750 Haygood Drive NE, HSRB II, N251, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-5885-0284
Vincent L AengevaerenDepartment of Cardiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-8722-6739
Flavio D'AscenziDepartment of Medical Biotechnologies, Sports Cardiology and Rehab Unit, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-0947-6836
Tim W ChurchillCardiovascular Performance Program, Division of Cardiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0215-3049
Elizabeth H DineenDepartment of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4704-4495
María Sanz-de la GarzaCardiovascular Institute, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain.ORCID 0000-0003-3199-9577
Sabiha GatiSchool of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-0199-5092
Geza HalaszDivision of Cardiology, San Camillo Forlanini Hospital, Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-7220-123X
Kristina HaugaaProCardio Center for Innovation, Department of Cardiology, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, and University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.ORCID 0000-0002-4900-0453
Hein HeidbuchelDepartment of Cardiology, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0001-9301-8127
Andre La GercheHEART Lab, St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Fitzroy, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-3906-3784
Rachel LampertDepartment of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-3313-0939
Sheela KrishnanMaineHealth Cardiology, Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9795-0912
Viviana MaestriniDepartment of Clinical, Internal, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-3225-8378
Matthew W MartinezMorristown Medical Center/Atlantic Health System, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center & Sports Cardiology, Morristown, NJ, USA.
Michael PapadakisCity St George's, University of London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-0616-2353
Francesco PeroneCardiac Rehabilitation Unit, Rehabilitation Clinic 'Villa delle Magnolie', Caserta, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-1418-7908
Dermot PhelanGragg Center for Cardiovascular Performance, Atrium Health, Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, Charlotte, NC, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-3724-2938
Sanjay SharmaSt George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-3630-6138
Paul D ThompsonDivision of Cardiology, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0365-2149
Aaron L BaggishCardiovascular Performance Program, Division of Cardiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2042-1489
Guido ClaessenFaculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Biomedical Research Institute, LCRC, UHasselt, Hasselt, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0001-8261-6666

Funding

Aortic Dilatation in Endurance Athletes: A Physiologic and Mechanistic StudyK23HL159262 · NHLBI · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI Timothy CHURCHILL · 2022 to 2026
$983k
Dutch Heart FoundationEstablished Investigator E-Dekker #03-002-2023-0036FIT-HEART consortium #01-001-2024-0621NHLBI NIH HHS K23 HL159262
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Exercise training improves cardiovascular health and reduces the risk for future cardiovascular events and mortality. However, emerging evidence suggests that Masters athletes may have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular abnormalities, such as atrial arrhythmias, coronary atherosclerosis, aortic dilatation, and myocardial fibrosis, compared to their less active peers. The clinical management of Masters athletes may be challenging as available guidelines for such conditions are generally based on data derived from symptomatic sedentary patients, limiting their applicability to highly trained individuals. Other unique challenges in the clinical assessment of Masters athletes include differences in symptomatic presentations compared to sedentary individuals, potential resistance to the initiation of pharmacologic treatment, and the increasing availability of consumer wearable health data that may provide relevant information on their cardiovascular health status. The purpose of this joint EAPC/ESC and ACC Clinical Consensus Statement is to provide an in-depth update on the current state of knowledge on abnormal cardiovascular findings in Masters athletes. We present an expert-based approach on the diagnostic assessment, management, and prognosis of (i) atrial fibrillation, (ii) bradyarrhythmias, (iii) ventricular arrhythmias, (iv) coronary atherosclerosis, (v) aortic dilatation, (vi) myocardial fibrosis, and (vii) exercise-induced arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Clinical challenges, areas of ongoing controversy, and uncertainty and the potential underlying mechanisms are discussed. We also present future perspectives and research directives to further refine current best practice strategies. This includes the need for clinical outcome studies, dedicated randomized controlled trials in athletes, and international registries with diverse populations and longitudinal follow-up to evaluate the natural history of cardiac abnormalities and facilitate development of evidence-based approaches in the clinical management of Masters athletes with cardiovascular abnormalities.

Indexed as

AthletesCardiovascular DiseasesArrhythmias, CardiacCoronary Artery DiseaseFibrosisHumansAortopathyAthlete’s heartAtrial fibrillationCardiomyopathyCardiovascular riskCoronary atherosclerosisExerciseMyocardial fibrosis

Identifiers

PMID41947397
PMCPMC13186594

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