We all know that exercise is good for our hearts, so it can seem strange that those of us who live active lives can be in need of heart screening. However, it is important to remember that when you are working out your heart is working hard too. Sports screening in London can protect you from heart attacks, arrhythmia’s, sudden cardiac death, and other serious heart problems that can be triggered by physical activity.

Heart Screening for Athletes
Heart screening is beneficial at every level and at every age, from the promising young athlete to the middle aged jogger or the professional sportsperson. Many professional bodies, including FIFA and the IOC, recommend that athletes undergo heart screening. It is particularly important if there is a history of heart disease in your family, but anyone can benefit from screening. Many risk factors and heart problems can remain hidden for a long time. Screening can detect them before they cause problems, which could save your life.

How Screening Helps
Sports screening at a London clinic can detect hidden problems such as congenital heart disease or arrhythmia’s that could put you at risk when you are exercising. For example, an issue such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy could be detected as abnormal thickening of the heart walls during an echo-cardiogram or as an arrhythmia seen on an ECG.

Tests conducted as part of the screening process can also check for signs that you might be at risk of developing coronary heart disease. Knowing this could help you make changes to your diet or exercise routine to prevent problems in the future. These kinds of tests are particularly important if you are about to increase your activity level as they can help you start exercising safely.

The results of your sports screening in London can tell you how much exercise your heart can cope with, whether you are at risk of heart problems that might be triggered by exercise, and how you can improve your health and performance.