Sudden Cardiac Death in Young Athletes
According to the Centers for Disease Control 5,000 young people between the ages of 15 and 34 years of age die annually from Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Sudden Cardiac Death in Young Athletes has a multitude of causes, among them are: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Coronary artery anomalies, Increased cardiac mass, Myocarditis, Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, Aortic stenosis, Premature atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, Dilated cardiomyopathy, Long QT syndrome, Cardiac trauma, Marfan’s Syndrome and Commotio Cordis (traumatic impact to the heart, e.g. puck or baseball.).
The number one cause of Sudden Cardiac
Death in Young Athletes is undiagnosed
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, an
abnormally enlarged heart muscle. Males
are affected 10 times more frequently than
females. Athletes playing basketball and
football in the US or soccer players in
Europe may be at highest risk as with
athletes who have a family history of
inherited gene anomalies such as Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy or Long QT
syndrome (erratic arrhythmia).
Studies have shown that young people who die suddenly often have a history of
dizziness or passing out during exercise, previous complaints of palpitations or
chest pain during exercise, or a history of family members dying suddenly at a
young age. Experts now say
that this number can be
decreased significantly by
community awareness and
implementation of screening
programs for those felt to be at
risk. Screening
recommendations for all
children, adolescents, and
college-age young adults
include: Medical, family, and
Sudden Cardiac Death in Young Athletes
drug history (including use of
performance-enhancing drugs
and drugs that predispose to long QT syndrome), Physical examination
(including BP and supine and standing cardiac auscultation and Selected testing
based on findings on history and physical exam.