[Screening for cardiovascular diseases among teenagers that will engage in sport activities]

Promotion of physical activity must be a priority in all modern societies, but there are some persons with medical conditions that can develop serious symptoms associated with sports, that can even be fatal, such as sudden death (SD). Adolescents are the age groups with the higher level of participation in recreation or competitive sports. International studies have demonstrated that approximately 1:250.000 adolescents die during the practice of sports. Of these, 50% had a prodrome 24 hours before the event and 75% had an underlying cardiovascular disease. Therefore, adolescents should be screened for cardiovascular diseases prior to their engagement in sports. This review gives a scientific approach to this issue, usually oversized by mass media. It also analyzes and reports international governmental strategies and practical tools for the clinician that must perform this type of screening.