Lengthy-term cardiac follow-up of athletes contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 after resumption of elite-level sports activities

van Hattum JC, Daems JJN, Verwijs SM, Wismans LV, van Diepen MA, Groenink M, Boekholdt SM, Planken RN, van Randen A, Hirsch A, Moen MH, Pinto YM, Wilde AAM, Jørstad HT. Coronary heart. 2023 Sep 7:heartjnl-2023-323058. doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2023-323058. Epub forward of print. PMID: 37678891.

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Take-House Message

Elite-level athletes with a historical past of COVID-19 had cardiac measurements just like unexposed elite athletes. Therefore, return to sports activities participation is protected for athletes following COVID-19.

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented occasion that also dramatically impacts sports activities in any respect ranges. Whereas some investigators have steered that SARS-CoV-2 an infection is related to myocarditis, we lack a whole understanding of SARS-CoV-2’s influence on cardiac abnormalities amongst athletes.

Research Objective

The researchers used a potential cohort examine to guage if SARS-CoV-2 an infection might hurt cardiac perform and anatomy amongst elite-level athletes.

Strategies

A complete of 259 elite athletes participated within the Analysis of Lifetime participation in Intensive Prime-level sports activities and Train (ELITE) cohort. All included athletes had been a minimum of 16 years of age, exercised greater than 10 hours per week, and underwent periodic cardiovascular screenings. Of the 259 athletes included, 123 athletes had confirmed SARS-CoV-2 an infection. These with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 an infection underwent further cardiovascular testing, together with ECG, metabolic laboratory evaluation, and cardiovascular MRI. This evaluation was repeated at 3, 6, and 9 months post-infection. The athletes with out an an infection provided knowledge from earlier than the pandemic or had self-reported no an infection, which investigators confirmed with blood checks for antibodies.

Outcomes

The authors discovered no variations between elite athletes with or with out publicity in cardiac perform or ventricular quantity.

Viewpoints

Whereas there was concern about myocarditis amongst individuals uncovered to SARS-CoV-2, the present examine means that, a minimum of within the mid-term, an an infection doesn’t relate to lingering considerations concerning cardiac perform or anatomy. Nonetheless, extra analysis ought to proceed to look at how SARS-CoV-2 might influence cardiac perform as a result of it stays unclear if we will safely apply these findings to non-elite athletes.

Scientific Implications

Clinicians ought to advise sufferers that amongst elite athletes, it seems protected, a minimum of within the mid-term, to return to sport from a cardiac perspective. It could profit sufferers who’re non-elite athletes to debate that these findings might not apply to them. Therefore, clinicians ought to comply with applicable return-to-participation pointers and monitor the literature.

Questions for Dialogue

Earlier than this examine, what had been your return-to-participation practices following SARS-CoV-2 an infection? What different concerns would you prefer to see from future analysis concerning SARS-CoV-2?