The present publication is a comprehensive and up-to-date review of several aspects of cardiovascular evaluation of athletes. It includes concise and authoritative lectures about the physiological basis of athletic performance, as well as directions for management of the structural cardiovascular abnormalities and/or arrhythmias, usually representing a clinical dilemma in the cardiovascular screening of athletes. A great effort was paid to address the several clinical issues giving description of the most sensitive diagnostic procedures to be used in single cases and the current criteria for risk stratification of the athletes with cardiovascular abnormalities. Finally,criteria of eligibility to different athletic disciplines for athletes with cardiovascular abnormalities are considered.
