Revised Guidance for Athletes with Cardiovascular Disease: A Shift Toward Shared Decision Making

Background

The Bethesda conference proceedings on athletes and cardiovascular conditions were published in 1985, 1994, and 2005, and changed to a scientific statement that was published in 2015. Traditionally, guidance often restricted athletes with cardiovascular disease from competitive sports due to concerns about sudden cardiac death. However, evolving evidence challenges these blanket restrictions.

Objective

The AHA and ACC convened an expert panel to review emerging data and update recommendations. This statement, in its fifth iteration, integrates 40 years of research, emphasizing individualized risk assessment, disease-specific considerat…