The medical value and cost-effectiveness of an exercise test for sport preparticipation evaluation in asymptomatic middle-aged white male and female athletes.

Background: Cardiovascular events related to high-intensity sport practice are rare but dramatic. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of these events after the age of 35 years. The value of a maximal exercise test (ET) for detection of athletes at risk remains a matter of debate.