Harvard Boston Sports Cardiology Summit 2026

Description

+ Include:  videos + file sub vtt +  pdf, size:  GB

+ Target Audience: Sports Cardiologists, General Cardiologists, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiologists, Sports Medicine Specialists, Pediatric Cardiologists

+ Sample video: contact me for sample video

+ Information:

Join the first Harvard University–affiliated continuing education course in sports cardiology and gain practical, case-based insights that empower you to deliver evidence-driven care to athletes and active individuals across every level of performance.

This is a new Harvard-affiliated educational initiative highlighting the full spectrum of sports cardiology practice, performance, and policy — bridging elite, recreational, and tactical populations. This new educational activity will be the first Harvard-affiliated continuing education course devoted to the emerging field of sports cardiology. The course will showcase Mass General Brigham Sports Cardiology as a leader in the care of athletes and active individuals.

Through case-based sessions, interactive panels, and faculty-led debates, this course will equip clinicians to translate the latest evidence into real-world decision-making for athletes and active individuals.

Learning Objectives

• Apply contemporary national and international guidelines to the cardiovascular evaluation of competitive and recreational athletes across the age and performance spectrum.

• Distinguish physiologic athletic cardiac remodeling from pathologic conditions, including cardiomyopathies, coronary artery disease, and arrhythmogenic substrates.

• Interpret athlete-specific electrocardiographic findings, including updated international ECG criteria, and identify patterns that warrant further evaluation or restriction.

• Risk-stratify athletes with arrhythmias (including atrial fibrillation, PVCs, and ventricular arrhythmias) and formulate evidence-based management and return-to-play strategies.

• Utilize advanced cardiac imaging modalities (echocardiography, cardiac MRI, and cardiac CT) to assess structural heart disease and cardiovascular risk in athletes.

• Evaluate coronary risk in endurance and masters athletes, incorporating CAC scoring, plaque characteristics, exercise exposure, and shared decision-making.

• Integrate cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) into the clinical assessment of athletes to inform diagnosis, prognosis, and performance-related decision-making.

• Incorporate wearable technologies and remote monitoring data into athlete care, recognizing their strengths, limitations, and clinical implications.

• Implement shared decision-making frameworks for clearance, restriction, and return-to-play decisions in athletes with complex or borderline cardiovascular findings.

• Address cardiovascular considerations in special athletic populations, including female athletes, pediatric and transitioning athletes, military and tactical athletes, and those exposed to extreme environments.

• Recognize the psychological impact of clearance and restriction decisions on athletes and integrate mental health considerations into cardiovascular care.

• Develop and operationalize athlete safety systems, including emergency action plans, AED deployment, and community-based prevention strategies.

• Translate emerging sports cardiology evidence into real-world clinical practice, improving cardiovascular outcomes while supporting safe athletic participation.

Target Audience

Specialty Physicians, Physician Assistants, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Primary Care Physicians, and Others.

Best for Sports Cardiologists, General Cardiologists, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiologists, Sports Medicine Specialists, Pediatric Cardiologists, Interventional Cardiologists, Cardiovascular Radiologists, Clinical Geneticists, Occupational and Military Medicine Specialists, Psychiatrists, and Primary Care Physicians.

Topics

• Day 1: Friday, September 25, 2026

  • Welcome & Course Overview

  • Contemporary Athlete Evaluation: Bridging Guidelines, Gray Zones, and Real-World Practice

  • Military & Tactical Athletes: An Update on the Guidelines

  • Sports Participation in Athletes with Arrhythmias: Key Updates from the 2024 HRS Clinical Guidelines

  • Updated International ECG Criteria in Athletes (2025): What’s New and What Matters

  • Athlete ECG Interpretation: Pitfalls, Patterns, and High-Risk Findings

  • Interactive ECG Review: You Make the Call (Audience Participation)

  • Break

  • Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletes: Epidemiology, Risk Signals & Prevention

  • Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Athletes: NCAA Data in Context

  • Pre-Participation Screening & Prevention: Lessons from the Sidelines

  • Wearables & Remote Monitoring in Athlete Care

  • Atrial Fibrillation in Athletes: Mechanisms, Management & Return to Play

  • PVCs & Ventricular Arrhythmias in Athletes: When to Reassure, When to Worry

  • Arrhythmia Case Presentations & Panel Discussion

  • Break for Lunch

  • Lunch and Learn: Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in the Evaluation of Athletes – Live Demonstration & Clinical Interpretation Pearls

  • RACER I & II: What Marathon Data Tell Us About Coronary Risk

  • Coronary Disease in the Masters Endurance Athlete: CAC, Plaque, Physiology & Prognosis

  • Clinical Decision-Making in Masters Athletes With CAD

  • Medical Therapy, Revascularization & Performance: What Actually Matters for Athletes

  • Cardiac Rehabilitation to Competitive Return: Re-Training the Masters Athlete With CAD

  • Beyond the Peak: CPET Thresholds in Clinical Practice

  • CAD Case Presentations & Panel Discussion

  • Break

  • Echocardiography in the Athlete: Beyond Wall Thickness

  • The Athletic Aorta: Remodeling & Risk

  • Cardiac MRI & CT in Athletic Risk Assessment

  • The Right Ventricle Under Stress: Imaging ARVC in Athletes

  • Adjourn

• Day 2: Saturday, September 26, 2026

  • Welcome & Reflections

  • Sports Cardiology Jeopardy

  • Genetic Cardiomyopathies in Sport: Testing, Interpretation, and Eligibility

  • Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Risk Stratification and Shared Decision-Making

  • Borderline Phenotypes in Athletes: Early Cardiomyopathy or Extreme Adaptation?

  • Break

  • Interactive Case Competition: Would You Clear This Athlete? Panel Discussion

  • The Psychological Load of Athletic Clearance, Restriction & Return to Play

  • Patient Capstone: From No Sports at All to the Top of the World

  • Break for Lunch

  • Lunch & Learn

  • Female Athletes Across the Lifespan: Performance, Pregnancy & Cardiovascular Risk

  • Extremes of Exercise: Space, Altitude & Cardiovascular Adaptation

  • Disparities by the Numbers

  • Operational Cardiology in the Armed Forces: Readiness & Return to Duty

  • Case Presentations and Panel Discussion: Clearance, Equity & Decision-Making Across Special Populations

  • Break

  • The Pediatric Athlete: Growth, Remodeling & Red Flags

  • Clearance, Restriction & Risk in the Young Athlete

  • Transitioning the Athlete to Adult Care: Where Things Break Down

  • Community-Based Athlete Safety at Scale: Advocacy in Action

  • Emergency Action Plans & AED Deployment: What Actually Saves Lives

  • Adjourn