Sports Medicine Cardiology

The Center for Sports Cardiology

While cardiologists and many in the public realize that physical activity offers many benefits, people with undiagnosed and “silent” cardiac conditions are at increased risk for a heart attack or sudden cardiac death during vigorous exercise. To prevent these risks, LifeBridge Health has started the Center for Sports Cardiology. Led by Dr. Sunal Makadia, The LifeBridge Sports Cardiology Program offers specialized care to serve the greater Baltimore community by evaluating, educating, and treating physically active people of all ages and abilities.

A swimmer preparing to swim a race in an aquatic center

The Sports Cardiology team offers comprehensive screening assessments (including PPE – pre-participation evaluation prior to starting a structured athletic activity), guidance on resuming athletic activity after a cardiac event, surgery, or procedure, and evaluations of impaired physical performance for athletes.

The LifeBridge Sports Cardiology Clinic is housed in a state-of-the-art facility at Quarry Lake in Pikesville, Maryland. It is open to all adult athletes (aged 16 or older) who are involved in any level of activity, from recreational athletics to high-level competitive and/or professional sports. We also provide cardiovascular assessments of people in highly active occupations (firefighters, police, trainers, etc).

What We Do

Perform pre-participation evaluations (PPE) prior to engaging in structured sporting activity (schools, teams, etc).
Provide guidance and recommendations to resume athletic activity after one has been diagnosed with a cardiovascular condition or has had a cardiovascular procedure or surgery
Evaluate symptoms such as chest pain, palpitations or shortness of breath that occurs during training or competition
Evaluate unexplained deterioration in athletic performance
Discuss controlling cardiovascular risk factors which includes concerns regarding family history of cardiovascular disease
Provide comprehensive cardiovascular screening for interested athletes
Work with schools, athletic programs, gymnasiums, and races to develop Emergency Action Plans and coordinate better access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs)
Achilles Tendon Repair (both open and minimally invasive techniques)

As part of this evaluation, your provider may refer you to obtain necessary cardiac testing which may include:

EKG
Stress Test (various modalities)
Echocardiogram
Holter monitor, event monitor
Wearable heart monitors (ie Apple Watch, Kardia Mobile, etc)
Cardiac MRI
Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET)