Focus on cardiology: Sport saves lives – tips for heart health!

Focus on cardiology: Sport saves lives – tips for heart health!

At the annual meeting of the German Society for Cardiology (DGK), which took place onMay 5, 2025took place, the results of the nucleus elections for the working groups were announced. AG 32, which deals with sports cardiology, currently has 759 members. Jun. Prof. Dr. Thomas Schmidt from the German Sport University Cologne is part of the core team and emphasizes his special perspective as a non-cardiologist. The working group focuses on the effects of physical activity and sport on the cardiovascular system as well as the benefits and dosage of sport in the prevention and treatment of heart and circulatory diseases, such as dshs-koeln.de reported.

In addition, the working group deals with physiological adaptation reactions in competitive sports and the differentiation from pathological changes. Determining fitness for sports and competitions in the case of cardiac illnesses is also a central issue. The nucleus of the working group includes important experts, including Priv.-Doz. Dr. Pascal Bauer from the University Hospital of Giessen and Marburg, Dr. Dr. Sven Fikenzer from Leipzig, as well as Priv.-Doz. Dr. David Niederseer from the Hochgebirgsklinik Davos.

Important guidelines on physical activity

The ESC guidelines, which were written with the collaboration of Martin Halle and Josef Niebauer, address the “pandemic of physical inactivity”. This inactivity is a strong predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Physical activity and sport, on the other hand, can significantly contribute to reducing these risks. The trend has changed from restrictive recommendations to generous, individual training recommendations that also take patient autonomy into account. It is recommended that patients with cardiovascular diseases do 150 to 300 minutes of moderate or 75 to 150 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week. This is supplemented by the recommendation to do strength training at least three times a week zeitschrift-sportmedizin.de explained.

The analysis of the causes of sudden cardiac deaths among athletes shows that congenital heart disease or myocarditis is often responsible for these tragedies in younger athletes (<35 years), while acquired cardiovascular diseases, especially coronary heart disease (CHD), predominate in older athletes (>35 years). Sports medical examinations such as resting and stress ECG are of great importance for clearance for sport.

The role of physical activity in prevention

Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death worldwide, which also applies in Austria, where they pose a significant threat, especially to women over 65 and men over 45. The main cause of these diseases is often arteriosclerosis, which often has no symptoms. In addition to treatment, prevention of cardiovascular diseases is of central importance and includes primary, secondary and tertiary prevention measures. Modifiable risk factors include healthy eating, not smoking, stress management and, most importantly, physical activity. This not only has positive effects on cardiorespiratory fitness, but also significantly reduces the risk of chronic diseases, such as swiss.tyrol turns out.

Overall, regular exercise can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and reduce mortality. The positive effects also extend to the improvement of biomarkers associated with inflammation and insulin resistance. Promoting an active lifestyle is therefore essential not only for people with existing illnesses, but for the entire population.