IS-059Children's Sport Activity: Are Screenings Necessary?

It is well established that high levels of physical activity are associated with reduced health risk in children and youth. Parents and teams request a safe participation to any sport activity, recreational or competitive.Although habitual physical activity reduces coronary heart disease events, vigorous activity can also acutely and transiently increase the risk of sudden cardiac death and acute myocardial infarction in susceptible personsHowever, across all age groups, levels of physical activity remain low and obesity rates continue to rise; collectively threatening the persistent increase in life expectancy enjoyed over the past century and efforts to counteract the inactivity and obesity crisis.There is a large body of evidence which suggests that decreasing any type of sedentary time is associated with lower health risk in youth.Maintaining physical fitness through regular physical activity may help to reduce sudden cardiovascular damages because a disproportionate number of events occur in least physically active subjects performing unaccustomed physical activity.Obstacles to implementing obligatory government-sponsored national screening including ECGs or echocardiograms like it is done in Italy, are in some countries the particularly large population of athletes to screen, major cost-benefit considerations, and the recognition that it is impossible to absolutely eliminate the risks associated with competitive sports.Unlike other organisations in US and Canada, the European Society of Cardiology and the International Olympic Committee do recommend resting 12-lead ECG to detect cardiac abnormalities for preparticipation cardiovascular screening of competitive athletes.Children's sedentary habits vs Children's Sport Activity: screenings are necessary!