Cardiovascular Performance Clinic

A RESOURCE FOR RECREATIONAL EXERCISERS, AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES, HIGHLY ACTIVE ADULTS AND WEEKEND WARRIORS

The Cardiovascular Performance Clinic at Beaumont offers comprehensive counseling and physiologic screening to amateur and professional athletes, recreational endurance exercisers and highly active individuals.

Specialized services are geared toward healthy men and women, and those with established or suspected cardiovascular disease.

Our staff includes clinical/sports cardiologists, sports medicine/exercise physiologists and nurse clinicians. Taking a multidisciplinary approach in providing care, they work with multiple clinical disciplines, including:

WHY SHOULD I PARTICIPATE IN THE CARDIOVASCULAR PERFORMANCE CLINIC?

Participation in marathons, half-marathons and triathlons has skyrocketed over the past three decades. Despite the potential cardioprotective and anti-aging effects of distance running, there are several reports of race-related heart attacks and cardiac arrests in marathon runners each year.

Recent research evaluating the cause of cardiac arrest in registered marathon runners has identified the most frequent clinical and autopsy findings as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Chronic endurance exercise may (at least in some athletes) induce adverse cardiovascular changes and increase the likelihood for heart attacks and abnormal heart rhythms.

If you participate in regular physical activity or are starting a high-volume and/or high-intensity training regimen, Beaumont’s Cardiovascular Performance Clinic can help answer your questions about cardiovascular health to maximize your benefits and reduce your risks.

WHAT VALUE DOES THE CARDIOVASCULAR PERFORMANCE CLINIC OFFER FOR MY CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH AND ENDURANCE TRAINING REGIMEN?

Beaumont’s Cardiovascular Performance Clinic can help you answer these critical questions about your cardiovascular health:

• Do I have significant underlying coronary artery disease or structural cardiovascular abnormalities?
• How do I optimize my training regimen and pre-race and race-day practices to continue to maintain or enhance my performance over time, while reducing the likelihood of injury or serious complications?
• Are there research-based adjunctive training aids, practices or cognitive strategies that are likely to benefit my performance?

What's Included

The basic screening package, known as the core examination, includes:

• Cardiovascular history and physical with cardiologist
• 12-lead electrocardiogram
• An echocardiogram, or ultrasound image of the heart, to assess cardiac function and screen for structural abnormalities
• Cardiopulmonary exercise stress testing with direct measurement of aerobic capacity, or VO2 max
• Consultations focusing on fitness/performance and healthy eating