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Sudden Cardiac Death in Young Athletes - Is It Stoppable?

The sudden death of any young athlete is tragic and often comes as a shock not only to the individual’s immediate family and friends, but also to the affected community...

Preventive strategies for SCA, with a low prevalence, but with such a high impact on society remain controversial. Some have advocated adding pre-sport electrocardiograms (ECG) to the screening process. Instead what would be more beneficial is to add an echocardiogram (ECHO), which ultimately picks up the diagnosis HCM, but again the problem is the expense.

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 American football star collapses on field: Why do super-fit, young athletes suffer cardiac arrests?

Though it may sound shocking, young and fit athletes are not immune to heart problems and there are a few reasons for that, experts say. A study by the Sports Institute at UW Medicine (University of Washington) in Seattle has found that one or two in every 100,000 active sportspersons experience sudden cardiac arrest each year. Moreover, males are at greater risk than females, and African American athletes are at greater risk than Caucasian athletes, the institute says.

 The Inflated Risk of Vaccine-Induced Cardiac Arrest

Damar Hamlin’s collapse on Monday Night Football calls attention to a medical myth that will not die.

Articles of Interest

Can Cardiac Screenings Save the Lives of Young Athletes?

An EKG exam could help detect heart disease in young athletes. Or it could send parents down a costly road of expensive follow-up exams that lead nowhere.

Detecting Underlying Cardiovascular Disease in Young Competitive Athletes

The prevalence of conditions associated with SCD in a cohort of Canadian YCAs was comparable with American and European populations. The SCBC questionnaire and protocol were associated with fewer false positive screens. The ECG identified most of the positive cases irrespective of screening strategy used.

Guidelines for Screening Athletes to Prevent Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Should hypertrophic cardiomyopathy screening be part of a young athlete’s school physical?

How Does Cardiac Arrest Happen to a Young Athlete Like Damar Hamlin?

Unfortunately, research suggests that cardiac arrest is the top cause of sudden death in young athletes, and Black men have a higher risk, Dr. Andersen notes, adding that “football players and basketball players are the most affected.” It can happen in seemingly healthy athletes with undiagnosed heart conditions or in those with healthy hearts.

Sudden Cardiac Death In Athletes

There are some conditions that may lead to sudden cardiac death. These conditions include Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), Commotio Cordis, Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) such as atherosclerosis and anomalous arteries, Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPWS), Myocarditis, Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia (ARVD), and Long QT Syndrome.

Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletes

In the majority of U.S. studies, the most commonly identified cause for SCD in young athletes is HCM, a genetic condition characterized by left ventricular hypertrophy and cardiac myocyte disarray predisposing to ventricular arrhythmias

Sudden Cardiac Death in Young Athletes

Sudden cardiac death in young athletes continues with alarming frequency. The most common cause of sudden death in the young athlete is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or HCM. Simply put, HCM means the heart muscle is bigger. Many of us believe that bigger muscle means stronger muscle. That is not always the case with the heart.

The prevention and management of sudden cardiac arrest in athletes

Cardiac arrests that occur during sports competition are dramatic and unexpected, and attract much media interest, as athletes are often young and at the peak of physical fitness. The rate of sudden cardiac arrest during exercise in competitive athletes is about 0.75 per 100 000 athletes per year.

The Scary Side of Sports

Discussions about the dangerous effects of concussions in young athletes have gained national attention. But another threatening condition is equally deserving of coverage: sudden cardiac arrest.

Resources

Eric Paredes Save a Life Foundation

Student athletes are at a greater risk for Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) because it is 60% more likely to occur during exercise or physical activity. Educating student athletes and parents about the symptoms and risk factors of SCA is one way to help prevent it.

Heart for Athletes

Heart for Athletes has chosen to focus on the most at-risk group. Athletes are up to 3 times more likely than their non-athletic counterparts to suffer from SCA. As the intensity of their training increases, so does their risk of SCA. An athlete with an undetected heart condition may have a 100-fold risk of suffering from SCA.

Cardiac Risk in the Young

CRY is a charity to raise awareness of Cardiac Risk in the Young - Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD), Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS, SADS). CRY offers support to those who have suffered a loss through a network of affected families & counselling.

Parent Heart Watch

Parent Heart Watch is the national voice solely dedicated to protecting youth from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and preventable Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD). Parent Heart Watch leads and empowers others by sharing information, educating and advocating for change.

SportsMedToday.com

Sudden death refers to an unexpected demise occurring over a short period of time, usually within 1 hour of symptom onset. It is predominantly caused by abnormalities of the heart and affects both those with known and unknown cardiac disease. For this reason, it is commonly known as Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD). Cases of SCD are tragic and often receive a large amount of public attention, particularly when young, previously healthy athletes are affected.