The Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles has launched a sports cardiology program focused on athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
Eli Friedman, MD, was appointed director of the program, which offers specialized evaluation and care for athletes with, or at risk for, heart disease. It also provides preparticipation screening for heart conditions, according to a Sept. 15 system news release.
The program builds on Cedars-Sinai’s existing sports medicine services. Physicians at the system advise professional teams, and Cedars-Sinai is the official medical provider for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
Dr. Friedman previously served as medical director of sports cardiology at Baptist Health South Florida in Miami and was a team cardiologist for more than a dozen professional and college organizations. His research focuses on cardiac conditions in athletes, including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a leading cause of sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes.
The program reflects Cedars-Sinai’s commitment to the community and the upcoming Olympic Games.
