Masters Athlete Screening Study (MASS) – Part 2 (5-year evaluation)

Masters athletes (>35 years) are a rapidly growing population that participate in a variety of sports. While exercise has tremendous health benefits, there is a small absolute risk of a heart attack and sudden death during exercise. Prevention strategies, such as heart screening aim to identify heart disease that may serve as a trigger for fatal adverse events. This will be the first prospective longitudinal study in Canada examining the effectiveness of heart screening in Masters athletes. Participants will be screened every year for five years using a modified version of the American Heart Association recommendations, resting electrocardiogram, Framingham Risk Score, and a lifestyle, physical activity and psychosocial questionnaire. At present, there is a scarcity of evidence pertaining to heart risk evaluation and screening in Masters athletes. This study will allow the partner organization to gain a better understanding of the cardiovascular risk in Masters athletes and will provide an evidence-based recommendation on whether screening effectively detects heart disease in a reasonable, cost-effective fashion.

Faculty Supervisor:

Darren Warburton

Student:

Barbara Morrison

Partner:

VGH and UBC Foundation

Discipline:

Medicine

Sector:

Arts, entertainment and recreation

University:

University of British Columbia