Cardiovascular health in master athletes engaged in competitive sport

Abstract Introduction Aging is naturally accompanied by a de-cline in overall health. Regular physical activity, whether amateur or competitive, is recognized as a key strategy to promote health and well-being in older adults. However, many individuals begin exercising without prior cardio-vascular assessment. Objective This systematic review aimed to assess the prevalence and types of cardiovas-cular diseases in master athletes. Methods Observational studies published within the last ten years were included if they evaluated cardiovascular outcomes or diseases in master athletes (aged >35 years) participating in any sport. Studies were excluded if they lacked data on pre-defined cardiovascular outcomes, focused solely on re-habilitation or training interventions, failed to identify the sport involved, were not available in full, or were letters to editors, commentaries, or unpublished manuscripts. The literature search strategy used the following key-words: “cardiovascular outcomes,” “cardiac outcomes,” “cardiovascular diseases,” “cardiac outcomes” and “master athletes.” Results: Ten studies were included, most in-volving master endurance athletes aged 35 to 90 years. Seven studies included both sexes, two included only men, and one did not specify sex. Reported outcomes included atrial fibrillation (n = 2), arrhythmia (n = 2), myo-cardial fibrosis (n = 1), ventricular dysfunction (n = 1), and atherosclerotic disease (n = 5). Of the ten studies, eight reported that master athletes have a higher propensity to develop cardiovascular disease, while two found no such association. Conclusion Master athletes may face an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. These find-ings highlight the importance of thorough cardiovascular screening before engaging in competitive sports at older ages.