[Survey of cardiovascular risk assessment and the behaviour of a sporting population]

In order to better understand the risk factors and behaviour of a general sports population, a questionnaire was handed to 603 consecutive sportsmen of various disciplines during a specific sports medicine consultation and a half-marathon. Among the discovered risk factors, smoking was the most common (19.3% for the entire study population), predominantly in the youngest group (26%). A resting ECG had been performed very frequently within the previous year in those over 40 years (86.5%), but less often in the younger sportsmen (44.8%). An exercise test had also very often been performed in those aged over 40 years (69.2 vs 10.6%). Behaviour associated with cardiovascular risk was common. Undertaking physical activity while febrile (58%) and smoking just before or after exertion (13.1%) were widespread behaviours. This population appeared casual in its approach to possibly suspicious cardiac symptoms of exercise, particularly the females and paradoxically the subjects doing the most sport. Lastly, only a minority of sportsmen knew the telephone number for the emergency medical service (45%) or claimed to be competent at first aid (32%). This survey underlines a practice relatively in accordance with the recommendations for detecting cardiovascular pathology, but shows a failure of preventive education.