Joint Meeting with the
Liverpool Medical Institute

"Differentiating Pathology from Physiology in the Athletic Heart"

 

The evening of the Joint Meeting of the LSA and Liverpool Medical Institute began in the old library at the LMI with a roaring fire, comfortable chairs and a drinks reception.

It was great to welcome Dr Caroline Jones the president of the Liverpool Medical Society to the evening as well as 35 doctors from around the region. The diverse audience included medical students, resident doctors, consultants, vets and retirees. It was great to see such a strong representation from North Wales (including a surgeon).

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Our lecturer, Professor Rob Cooper graduated in Medicine from The University of Liverpool and undertook post graduate training in London and Liverpool. He obtained his PhD at Imperial College. He was appointed as Professor of Cardiology and Sports Medicine at Liverpool John Moore's University in 2022.

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He gave a fascinating lecture focussing on identifying and quantifying risk in patients with HOCM and other cardiomyopathies, managing the risk and safety netting. He then described the prevalence of predisposing conditions in athletes which may put them at risk of arrythmias as well as the process of hypertrophy in cardiac muscles in athletes and how this is differentiated from pathological cardiomyopathies.

On the subject of screening (patients and athletes) he described the usefulness of non invasive investigations such as ECG and the importance of subtle changes (I think we all learnt something new here) and ECHO as well as exercise ECHO in identifying those people in whom further investigation is warranted.

He outlined the risks in particular of life-long endurance athletes, but emphasised the importance of engaging in regular moderate exercise for health reasons.

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There were plenty of questions at the end of the lecture which was followed by a very sociable evening meal upstairs.
 

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Dr Nicole Robin, President of the LSA