Sport and cardiac events in elite athletes: What can we do from IDOVEN? The case of Kun Agüero

Futbol Club (FC) Barcelona striker Sergio Agüero is the latest high-profile footballer to experience a cardiac complication. Kun Agüero joins the list of sportsmen to suffer a cardiac event, as happened to Iker Casillas in 2019, after which, he decided to to join the IDOVEN team as an investor and collaborator in different initiatives and projects with different initiatives and projects related to cardiovascular prevention.

Since the player had to leave the match against Alavés at Camp Nou last Saturday due to chest pain, the Argentine has undergone a series of cardiological medical examinations. Barcelona FC issued a brief statement on the matter: "Kun Agüero has undergone a diagnosis and therapeutic process by Dr Josep Brugada. He is on sick leave and over the next three months the effectiveness of the treatment will be evaluated to determine his recovery process."

Although there has been no official medical report on his state of health, several sources say that it could be a cardiac arrhythmia. The Argentinian's first words on his social networks were"I am well and in good spirits to face the recovery process. I want to thank you all for all the messages of support and affection that make my heart stronger today".

Today on IDOVEN we delve into the world of arrhythmias and their possible detection thanks to our algorithms, based on artificial intelligence.

What is an arrhythmia? What types of arrhythmias can we suffer from?

Arrhythmias are heart rhythm disorders. The heart may beat too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia) or irregularly. There are many types: there are arrhythmias, called atrial arrhythmias, which originate in the upper part of the heart; they are generally benign and have a good prognosis, examples are atrial fibrillation and flutter. atrial fibrillation and flutter. There are other types of arrhythmias, those originating in the ventricles, which have a more aggressive behaviour and are potentially lethal, such as ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia, among others. Ventricular arrhythmias are generally associated with structural heart problems (heart disease), but sometimes occur in healthy hearts.

Is there a treatment for arrhythmias?

YES. Some are controlled with medication and others require more complex studies and techniques for their elimination, so-called electrophysiological studies and ablation procedures, usually performed by catheterisation and/or cardiac surgery. Some arrhythmias are recurrent in spite of treatment, and therefore require follow-up and monitoring for possible narrow cardiac events.

Can I have a normal electrocardiogram and have an arrhythmia?

The answer is YES. We can have a completely normal baseline electrocardiogram and have abnormal circuits (called "pathways") within the heart that can cause episodes of tachycardia. These pathways may not be apparent on an electrocardiogram performed at rest.

Will I always notice if I have an arrhythmia?

Unfortunately, NO. Arrhythmias can be asymptomatic and therefore undetected or present as palpitations, chest pain or even syncope. In the worst case, the first manifestation may be sudden death.

Can it be prevented? What can we do from IDOVEN?

The unpredictable, sudden and sometimes lethal nature of some cardiac problems has a high impact on our environment, with world-renowned cases such as Antonio Puerta, Christian Eriksen, Fabrice Muamba or the recent fatal case of a youth football player who died tragically after a cardiac arrest in England.

At IDOVEN we can help detect cardiac events early and non-invasively. And that is why we work every day so that athletes, whether they are elite or not, can perform any physical activity without putting their lives at risk..

Prevention through the detection of cardiac disorders is our main objective. To achieve this, people can closely monitor the functioning of their heart thanks to our services. At IDOVEN, we can detect cardiac problems early, thanks to algorithms based on artificial intelligence that can help doctors, patients and athletes to detect or rule out these cardiological problems in an early, non-invasive and efficient way

From IDOVEN we want to send a message of support to Kun Agüero and his family and wish him a speedy recovery.

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