Cardiology

Sports Cardiology

Our Sports Cardiology team combines expertise in cardiology with a deep understanding of the physical demands placed on the heart during exercise. We assess, diagnose, and manage heart conditions to help you safely pursue your athletic goals.

What is Sports Cardiology?

Sports Cardiology is a specialized branch of cardiology that focuses on heart health in athletes and individuals who lead active lifestyles. Whether you're a professional athlete, a weekend warrior, or someone starting a fitness journey, maintaining your heart's health is critical to ensuring optimal performance and reducing the risk of heart-related issues.

When Do You Need Sports Cardiology?

Whether you're an athlete seeking a heart health check or someone concerned about how exercise impacts your cardiovascular system, our Sports Cardiology team is here to help.

You may need to consult a Sports Cardiologist if:

• Pre-participation Screening: You're an athlete or highly active individual looking to assess your heart health before starting a new sport or fitness routine.
• Known Heart Disease and Specific Exercise Instructions: Heart Disease Diagnosis: You have a known heart condition, such as cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia, heart valve disease, or coronary artery disease, and want to continue physical activity or compete in competitive sports safely.
• Unexplained Symptoms: You experience symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, or dizziness during or after exercise.
• Post-Heart Event Care: You’ve experienced a heart attack, cardiac arrest, or undergone heart surgery and want guidance on safely returning to exercise.
• High-Intensity Training: You're engaging in high-intensity training programs and want to ensure your heart is prepared for the challenge.

Benefits of Sports Cardiology

• Personalized Heart Care: Our specialists create customized care plans that consider your athletic goals and physical demands, ensuring a balance between heart health and peak performance.
• Recognition of Nuanced Care for Athletes: Our specialists recognize that general medications and therapies may not be appropriate for the athlete. We offer nuanced treatment specific to each athlete’s goals.
• Safe Return to Activity: After a cardiovascular event, we provide tailored recommendations on safely resuming physical activity and reducing the risk of recurrence.
• Expert Guidance for Performance Enhancement: We work closely with athletes to help them maximize their performance while maintaining optimal cardiovascular health.

What to Expect During Your Visit

When you visit our Sports Cardiology clinic, we’ll perform a thorough evaluation that may include:

• Comprehensive Heart Assessments: ECGs, echocardiograms, stress tests, and advanced imaging as appropriate to evaluate your heart's function.
• Lifestyle and Training Review: Discussion of your fitness regimen, diet, and lifestyle to optimize cardiovascular health.
• Athlete-Specific Language and Exercise Plan: We will provide detailed exercise instructions for each athlete. We understand and speak the athlete’s language.
• Personalized Treatment Plan: Based on the findings, we'll create a plan tailored to your needs, whether monitoring, medication, or procedures to support your heart health and athletic endeavors.

Featured Physician

Dr. Aakash Bavishi practices in the Division of Cardiology at UI Health. Dr. Bavishi treats a wide range of cardiac conditions, with particular clinical expertise and research interest in the management of athletes and patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. He is also trained in all cardiovascular imaging modalities and interprets all major types of cardiac images, including echocardiograms, cardiac computed tomography (CT), cardiac MRI, and nuclear studies.

Dr. Bavishi's care philosophy emphasizes evidence-based medicine and shared decision-making to find a plan best tailored for each patient. He has authored dozens of peer-reviewed articles and presented his work at numerous national conferences. He is board-certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, echocardiography, nuclear medicine, cardiac CT, and cardiac MRI.

Schedule Your Consultation Today

Schedule a consultation with us to ensure your heart is ready for the challenges ahead.

Outpatient Care Center (OCC), Suite 3C

1801 W. Taylor St.
Chicago, IL 60612
Directions
312.996.6480

University Village Primary & Specialty Care
1309 S. Halsted St.
Chicago, IL 60607
Directions
312.413.3000