In this illuminating episode of Parallax, Dr Ankur Kalra engages with Dr Jonathan Drezner, Director of Sports Cardiology at the University of Washington, who explores the complex world of cardiovascular risk in competitive athletes.

Dr Drezner traces the evolution of sports cardiology from watershed moments involving high-profile athletes like Hank Gathers and Reggie Lewis to today's sophisticated screening protocols. The conversation reveals startling statistics about sudden cardiac death—particularly among specific athlete populations where risks are significantly higher than previously thought.

The discussion delves into the limitations of traditional screening questionnaires versus the enhanced detection capabilities of ECG testing, highlighting how proper interpretation has dramatically reduced false positives. Dr Drezner articulates the shift from universal disqualification to personalized risk assessment for athletes with cardiac conditions, emphasizing the critical elements of effective emergency action plans that can mean the difference between life and death on the playing field.

Listeners will gain valuable insights into both common and rare cardiac conditions affecting athletes, from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy to anomalous coronary arteries, while understanding the three pillars of modern sports cardiology: epidemiology, screening, and management. This episode offers essential knowledge for cardiologists, sports medicine physicians, and other healthcare professionals involved in athlete cardiac care.

Questions and comments can be sent to “podcast@radcliffe-group.com” and may be answered by Ankur in the next episode. Host: @AnkurKalraMD and produced by: @RadcliffeCARDIO

Parallax is Ranked in the Top 100 Health Science Podcasts (#48) by Million Podcasts: https://www.radcliffecardiology.com/news/parallax-podcast-ankur-kalra-recognised-among-top-medical-podcasts?language_content_entity=en

EP 132: The Heart of the Game: Cardiovascular Risk in Athletes

‘Parallax’ (/ˈparəlaks/)-noun: the effect whereby the position or direction of an object appears to differ when viewed from different positions. Join Ankur Kalra, MD as he shows you a different side to cardiovascular care, management and science. Listen to Ankur’s conversations with legendary cardiologists, critical reviews of key congresses and late-breaking trials, and concise summaries. Published every second Monday of the month, this is your fix of reliable updates on all things cardiology by someone from a non-traditional background, who is always trying to look at it from new angles! Dear cardiologists, we want to make this podcast about you, and for you! Please email us critical thoughts, comments and questions for Ankur at podcast@radcliffe-group.com.

New tracks tagged #jonathan drezner