Indications, protocols, and interpretation of cardiovascular imaging for the evaluation and management of athletes: a clinical consensus statement of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), Part 2: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance, cardiac CT, and nuclear imaging

Abstract

The number of individuals engaging in sports continues to rise, and identifying those with cardiac substrates associated with increased risk of exercise-related adverse events is crucial. Athlete evaluation requires a refined diagnostic strategy to distinguish physiological cardiac remodelling from pathology. This joint European Association of Preventive Cardiology/European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging consensus provides a multimodality approach for advanced cardiovascular imaging in sports cardiology. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance, cardiac computed tomography, and nuclear imaging each offer complementary insights into cardiac structure, function, coronary anatomy, tissue characterization, perfusion, and inflammation. When integrated with clinical data and first-line tests, they improve diagnostic precision and risk stratification in scenarios frequently encountered in athletes, including ventricular arrhythmias, cardiomyopathies, congenital coronary anomalies, inflammatory myocardial disease, and coronary artery disease. Standardized protocols tailored to age, training, and clinical indication are essential to ensure reliability and avoid misinterpreting physiological adaptation as disease. The consensus emphasizes responsible reporting, considering performance and legal implications of diagnoses, and recommends second-line imaging when justified. Functional imaging, for ischaemia or inflammation, is central in guiding return-to-play decisions. Persistent evidence gaps include limited normative datasets across athletic subgroups and uncertain significance of subtle tissue abnormalities. Overall, this consensus supports harmonized, safe, and judicious multimodality imaging to protect athletes while preventing unnecessary sport restriction.