Assessment of Cardiac Involvement of Common Cold in High Performing Athletes by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Study Overview
=================
Brief Summary
-----------------
Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging will be used to assess the impact of common colds and physical training in high-performing athletes. Healthy individuals from the general public will serve as a comparison group. CMR has previously been shown to accurately assess cardiac function, edema, inflammation, and injury. Athletes competing at National level and Developmental Canadian teams will be prospectively recruited. All participants will have CMR scans at low and high intensity training. Participants will be re-scanned immediately after clinical evidence of a common cold, as determined by respiratory and flu-like symptoms. After 4 weeks, a follow-up CMR scan will be performed. On the day of each CMR scan, electrocardiograms and blood samples will be drawn from each participant. Blood samples will provide markers of systemic inflammation, such as leukocyte counts. At each CMR scan, athletes will be asked to describe there recent history of physical exertion in questionnaires, which will reflect the degree of physical exertion performed.

Detailed Description
-----------------
Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging will be used to assess the impact of a common colds and physical training in high-performing athletes. Healthy individuals from the general public will serve as a comparison group. CMR has previously been shown to accurately assess cardiac function, edema, inflammation, and injury. Athletes competing at National level and Developmental Canadian teams will be prospectively recruited. All participants will have CMR scans at low and high intensity training. Participants will be re-scanned immediately after clinical evidence of a common cold, as determined by respiratory and flu-like symptoms. After 4 weeks, a follow-up CMR scan will be performed. On the day of each CMR scan, electrocardiograms and blood samples will be drawn from each participant. Blood samples will provide markers of systemic inflammation, such as leukocyte counts. At each CMR scan, athletes will be asked to describe there recent history of physical exertion in questionnaires, which will reflect the degree of physical exertion performed. Image analysis: CMR parameters that serve as surrogate markers for myocardial inflammation will be assessed. Specifically, they include STIR (edema), early enhancement (inflammation), and late enhancement (fibrosis). The presence of 2 of these parameters will indicate the presence of myocardial inflammation. Qualitative and quantitative analysis will be performed on images obtained from CMR scans, and will be assessed offline using CMR42 (Circle International, Calgary) software. Standard methods of assessing edema, inflammation, and fibrosis will be implemented. Standard left ventricular function volume analysis techniques will be implemented to assess left ventricular dilatation.

Official Title
-----------------
Left Ventricular Dilatation in Athletes With Common Colds; a Cardio-vascular MRI Study

Conditions
-----------------
Ventricular Function, Left

Intervention / Treatment
-----------------
* Procedure: Cardiac magnetic Resonance study
* Procedure: Blood testing


Participation Criteria
=================
Eligibility Criteria
-----------------
Inclusion Criteria: Informed consent; feverish feeling with last 72 hours; active participation in competitive sports; history of recent viral exposure or flu-like symptoms. Exclusion Criteria: CMR Contraindications, chronic diseases affecting the heart, use of immuno-active drugs
Sexes Eligible for Study
-----------------
All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
-----------------
Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
=================
How is the study designed?
-----------------

Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Athletes<br>high performing athletes | Procedure: Cardiac magnetic Resonance study<br>* follow-up studies<br>Procedure: Blood testing<br>* Blood sample tested for myocardial biomarkers<br>|

What is the study measuring?
-----------------
Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Left-ventricular systolic dysfunction, as defined by increased left ventricular end-diastolic volume |  | 12 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Myocardial edema, fibrosis, inflammation, volumetry |  | 12 months | 

 Terms related to the study
=================
Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
-----------------
athletes