Why the study?
Aortic disease is an uncommon yet important cause of sudden death among young competitive athletes, requiring a structured approach to evaluation, risk stratification, and sport participation guidance for those with aortopathy or spontaneous coronary artery dissection.
Provides a structured clinical framework and risk-stratified guidance for evaluating and managing sport participation in competitive athletes with aortic disease or spontaneous coronary artery dissection.
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Provides structured risk stratification and shared decision-making for athletes with aortopathy or SCAD; extends prior consensus to phenotype-specific eligibility criteria.
Aortic disease represents an uncommon but important cause of sudden death among young competitive athletes. Important etiologies of aortic dilation in this population include bicuspid aortic valve, heritable thoracic aortic disease, and tricuspid aortic valve with unexplained aortic dilation. This document outlines a structured approach to the evaluation of young athletes with aortic disease with an emphasis on precise measurement of aortic dimensions with regular surveillance, careful evaluation for underlying etiologies, and shared decision-making. For each condition, we delineate low, moderate, and high-risk phenotypes and provide tailored guidance regarding sport participation. Additionally, guidance for athletes with spontaneous coronary artery dissection is also reviewed.
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Churchill et al. (2026) studied Aortopathy (including bicuspid aortic valve, heritable thoracic aortic disease, tricuspid aortic valve with unexplained aortic dilation) or spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD). Structured evaluation, risk stratification, regular surveillance, and shared decision-making was evaluated. This task force document outlines a structured evaluation, risk phenotype stratification, and shared decision-making approach for sport participation in athletes with aortopathy or SCAD.
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