International Olympic Committee (IOC) consensus paper on sports-related ophthalmology issues in elite sports

Morten Carstens Moe, Emin Özmert, Christophe Baudouin, Abhinav Binadra, Sven Crafoord, Young Jo, Hayyam Kiratli, Melita Moore, Yannis P Pitsiladis, Udo Rolle, Ben Tan, Özge Yanik, Richard Budgett, Ugur Erdener, Kathrin Steffen*, Lars Engbretsen

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

    1 Citation (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Vision plays an important role in an athletes' success. In sports, nearly 80% of perceptual input is visual, and eye health and sports medicine are closely intertwined fields of utmost importance to athletes. The physical nature of sports activities renders individuals more prone to various eye injuries than the general population. Ocular trauma can lead to lifelong sequelae, and impaired vision requires careful follow-up and management. Apart from injuries, athletes may also experience vision problems that can hamper their performance, including blurred vision, double vision, and light sensitivity.

    The interdisciplinary nature of sports medicine necessitates collaboration between sports medicine professionals and ophthalmologists. Through such collaborations, athletes can receive appropriate eye care, education on proper eye protection and guidance on adopting good eye health practices. If any inconspicuous symptoms are not detected and treated promptly, athletes may acquire systemic injuries because of defective vision, preventing them from achieving high level athletic performance in competitions.

    The protection of the elite athlete is the responsibility of all of us in sports medicine. To advance a more unified, evidence-informed approach to ophthalmic health assessment and management in athletes and as relevant for sports medicine physicians, the International Olympic Committee Consensus Group aims for a critical evaluation of the current state of the science and practice of ophthalmologic issues and illness in high-level sports, and present recommendations for a unified approach to this important issue.

    Original languageEnglish
    Article numbere001644
    Number of pages13
    JournalBMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine
    Volume9
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 19 Jul 2023

    Scopus Subject Areas

    • Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
    • Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation

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