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Cardiac Screening Supports British Cycling Policy

Our heart specialist team at St Hugh’s Hospital recently welcomed six professional cyclists to undergo Cardiac Screening. This follows the introduction of  British Cycling’s mandatory cardiac screening policy, as awareness of the risks faced by sportspeople grows.

The new policy means that every rider, is required to have an annual electrocardiogram (ECG). This determines if they are at risk of suffering sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The British Cycling policy applies to all squad members from academy to elite level.

Attending the hospital on Tuesday 3rd January were:

  • Madison Genesis riders Connor Swift and Joey Walker,
  • Team Wiggins Le Col riders Rob Scott and Gabz Gullaigh,
  • Canyon Eisberg’s Tom Stewart
  • Beobank Corendon’s Ben Turner.

The six professional cyclists who have all worked with St Hugh’s throughout their development through the ranks, were hooked up to the ECG. This monitors the heart’s electrical activity to record a base rhythm and identify any abnormalities.

A Welcome Step

Ashley Brown, Hospital Director at St Hugh’s, said:

“I’m pleased that British Cycling has taken this positive step to help protect the health of our athletes, by introducing this policy. Our cardiologists spot anomalies such as a delay in the rhythm or prolonged rhythm of the heart using ECGs.

“Cycling, like many sports, puts the body under extreme physical pressure. These tests will highlight potential problems before they result in life-altering incidents.

“We’ve been supporting these cyclists for a number of years as they’ve progressed as amateurs and on to the professional ranks. Finding, investigating and treating heart conditions is of the utmost importance. This is especially true for athletes, because of the long-term implications of leaving them unidentified.”

British Cycling introduced the policy after experts revealed that athletes are three times more likely than non-athletes to suffer sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Cardio Smart lists SCA as the leading medical cause of death in young athletes.

Connor Swift (23), British national road race champion said:

“I enjoyed being back at St Hugh’s, despite the serious nature of the check-up. I always receive such a warm welcome here, whether it’s medical checks or Ride with the Pros community events. Huge thanks to the whole team for making the visit so stress free; it’s good to know we’re all in such safe hands.”

The British Medical Journal and Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK state that SCA in athletes aged under 35 is likely to have specific causes. The predominant ones are an underlying genetic heart condition or a disorder such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Intense physical activity can lead to changes in the heart and pathological changes to the heart can mimic genetic heart conditions’ characteristics.

A Growing Trend

British Cycling joins the growing list of European countries and Israel in which ECGs are routinely performed, particularly on younger athletes. The tests are also recommended by the European Society of Cardiology, The International Olympic Committee and FIFA.

Nurses took blood samples from each of the cyclists in addition to the ECG, this will act as a baseline for future tests.

For further information about Cardiac Screening for cycling and other sports, click here to contact HMT directly

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