Sports Cardiology and Health Promotion Through Personalized Exercise Prescription

A special issue of Journal of Personalized Medicine (ISSN 2075-4426). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Medicine, Cell, and Organism Physiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 1310

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Medical Biotechnologies, Division of Cardiology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
Interests: sports cardiology; sports medicine; cardiomyopathies; personalized exercise prescription; cardiovascular prevention; cardiac rehabilitation; cardiopulmonary exercise test; cardiac imaging

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sports cardiology is an emerging sub-specialty field of Cardiology and Sports Medicine which aims to improve the knowledge in the diagnosis, risk stratification and clinical management of athletes who present a physiological cardiac remodeling induced by training or a cardiac condition that may increase the risk of sudden cardiac death or that may worsen with intensive exercise (e.g., cardiomyopathies). In cases of disqualification from sports competition, it is crucial to evaluate the subject for a tailored personalized exercise prescription to avoid physical inactivity, a well-recognized leading risk factor for overweight, obesity, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, cancer, all-cause mortality and major cardiovascular events. Exercise prescriptions should also be considered in sedentary individuals who do not want to practice competitive sports but are interested in a personalized training program for primary or secondary prevention.

The aim of this Special Issue is to invite original research articles, notable clinical findings and critical and relevant reviews that present and discuss the advancement of research in the knowledge of athletes’ heart and cardiac diseases, with a particular focus on primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention and health promotion through a tailored personalized exercise prescription.

Dr. Luna Cavigli
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • sports cardiology
  • sports medicine
  • cardiomyopathies
  • personalized exercise prescription
  • cardiovascular prevention
  • cardiac rehabilitation
  • cardiopulmonary exercise test
  • cardiac imaging

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

12 pages, 767 KiB  
Article
A First Diastolic Function Evaluation in the Personalized Exercise Prescription Program for Solid Organs Transplanted Subjects: Is Atrial Strain Useful?
by Melissa Orlandi, Marco Corsi, Vittorio Bini, Roberto Palazzo, Stefano Gitto, Claudia Fiorillo, Matteo Becatti, Marco Maglione and Laura Stefani
J. Pers. Med. 2025, 15(1), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm15010032 - 17 Jan 2025
Viewed by 750
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Solid organ transplant recipients (OTR) have been recently involved in exercise prescription programs in order to reduce the high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases. The normal systolic and diastolic cardiac function is fundamental to personalizing the prescription. Diastolic dysfunction can be associated [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Solid organ transplant recipients (OTR) have been recently involved in exercise prescription programs in order to reduce the high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases. The normal systolic and diastolic cardiac function is fundamental to personalizing the prescription. Diastolic dysfunction can be associated to a higher risk of cardiovascular events and left atrial (LA) strain is an emerging parameter in the evaluation of diastolic compromising, especially in subjects with preserved ejection fraction. Left atrial (LA) strain has never been explored in this category. The study aimed to evaluate the contribution of the LA strain in the assessment of diastolic function of OTR and its potential contribution in the exercise program. Methods: 54 solid OTR (liver and kidney transplants) regularly trained for at least 12 months in a home-based, partially supervised model at moderate intensity estimated by cardiopulmonary exercise test, underwent a complete echocardiographic analysis. The measured variables included left ventricle systolic function (ejection fraction, EF), diastolic function (E/A and E/E’), LA indexed volumes, LA peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) and LA peak atrial contraction strain (PACS). The data were compared to those of 44 healthy subjects (HS). Results: The OTR showed an overweight condition (BMI: 25.79 ± 2.92 vs. 22.25 ± 2.95; p < 0.01). Both groups showed a preserved systolic function (EF: OTR 63.1 ± 3.5% vs. HS 66.9 ± 6.1; p < 0.001), while diastolic standard parameters were significantly different (E/A, 1.01 ± 0.4 vs. 1.96 ± 0.74; p < 0.001; E/E’, 9.2 ± 2.7 vs. 6.9 ± 1.3; p < 0.001, in OTR and HS respectively) despite being normal. LA strain was significantly lower in OTR vs. HS (4C PALS, 33.7 ± 9.7 vs. 45.4 ± 14.19; p < 0.001; 4C PACS, 15.9 ± 6.7 vs. 11.6 ± 7.5; p = 0.006; 2C PALS, 35.3 ± 11.1 vs. 47.6 ± 14.9; p < 0.001; 2C PALS, 17.4 ± 4.9 vs. 13.2 ± 14.97; p = 0.001; in OTR and HS respectively). A specific correlation of two- and four-chamber PACs and PALs with BMI has been observed (R for 4C PALS −0.406 ** and 2C PALS −0.276 *). Conclusions: These findings suggest that the coexistence of increased bodyweight in asymptomatic OTR patients can exacerbate the impairment of LA strains. LA strain detection could be useful in the development of a personalized exercise program for OTRs, especially for asymptomatic subjects and those with elevated cardiovascular risk profile, to potentially manage the exercise program in the long term. Larger studies will confirm the role via an eventual structured clinical score index. Full article
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