Cardiac screening for pediatric athletes should begin by age 12 years.
Cardiac evaluation of paediatric athletes.
Guido E Pieles … Flavio D'Ascenzi
European heart journal · Jun 2026
Background
Paediatric athletes are not simply 'mini adults'.
12
Results
12
years
young athletes should start heart check-ups by this age
More results
Members of the writing group voted anonymously on key advice statements, with ≥80% agreement required for consensus.
Implementing a screening programme requires ensuring the availability of necessary healthcare resources.
More results
One transthoracic echocardiogram may be appropriate to identify high-risk structural cardiac diseases not identifiable on electrocardiogram, provided appropriate infrastructure for baseline diagnostic assessments is in place.
“
Conclusion
This document highlights that further research is required to optimise screening strategies, accurately assess and quantify the risk of sudden cardiac death and provide evidence-based eligibility recommendations for paediatric athletes with cardiac disease.