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HOME/Heart Conditions/What Your Heart History Has To Do With Your Kid’s Sports

What Your Heart History Has To Do With Your Kid’s Sports

What Your Heart History Has To Do With Your Kid’s Sports
March 26, 2013
Dr. John Lynn Jefferies
6 Comments

It’s a story that we hear too often:  a student athlete shoots a game-winning shot and collapses during the celebration.  In many cases the underlying cause of that fatal collapse is sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) caused by an undiagnosed form of cardiomyopathy.  Student athletes can have cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle itself, without having any symptoms, and the first sign can be SCA.

Athletes ages 13 and older are at greater risk than younger athletes because they are more capable of generating a sudden burst of energy. When an athlete with undiagnosed cardiomyopathy engages in a sudden burst of activity — like sprinting to catch a ball — adrenaline levels are high, which predisposes him or her to unusual heart rhythms that may be life-threatening. It is important to note that individuals with cardiomyopathy, regardless of age or burst activity, are at higher risk for sudden cardiac arrest.

While it is common for children and adolescents with cardiomyopathy to be completely asymptomatic, some symptoms may be present, which include chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness, or unexplained fainting. These symptoms are often dismissed as over-exertion in athletes.

The good news is that the number of student athletes at-risk for sudden heart failure is relatively small. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that every year in the United States, approximately 2,000 people younger than 25 will experience sudden cardiac arrest. The challenge is identifying which ones are at-risk, without performing an expensive echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) on every student athlete.

So as a parent, what can be done? One of the most powerful tools you have in your arsenal is knowledge of your family’s history.

Here are four questions to ask yourself and your family members:

  1. Has anyone in our family had unexplained sudden cardiac arrest?
  2. Has anyone in our family had sudden cardiac arrest at a young age?
  3. Has anyone in our family had a history of unexplained fainting?
  4. Has anyone in our family had an arrhythmia (unusual heart beat) or heart muscle disease?

If you answer yes to one or more of the above questions, further assessment is warranted for your student athlete.

Historically, doctors have used an EKG (or electrocardiogram, a test that identifies heart rhythm abnormalities) to diagnose cardiomyopathy, but we have found that an EKG is not sensitive enough to catch every problem that could lead to sudden cardiac arrest. Early research conducted at Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute shows that an abbreviated echocardiogram may be the right test to diagnose cardiomyopathy in athletes who warrant testing due to family history.  It is more accurate than an EKG, and is less expensive than a full echocardiogram.

Armed with your family’s heart history and the knowledge of the most appropriate diagnostic tools, I encourage you to discuss any concerns you have with your child’s doctor. Pursue clinical evaluation, risk assessment and possible referral to a center experienced in the diagnosis and management of cardiomyopathy. As we head into one of the busiest sports seasons of the year, these steps will help you provide the safest sports environment for your child.

If you have questions, or would like to request an appointment, please contact our Heart Institute.

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TAGS:
  • cardiomyopathy
  • sudden cardiac arrest

About the author: Dr. John Lynn Jefferies

John Lynn Jefferies, MD, is director of the Cardiomyopathy and Advanced Heart Failure Clinic at Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute. He has authored more than 120 peer reviewed publications and edits two textbooks on the topic of cardiomyopathy and heart failure.

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Comments

Laura Batson (Cam and Logan's Mom) March 27, 2013 at 9:16 am

Hello Dr. Jefferies,

WOW!!
What a wonderful post!!

It was nice seeing you at our last visit 🙂

Laura Batson

Dr. John Lynn Jefferies March 27, 2013 at 11:36 am

Thank you for the kind words! Such an important message to spread.

Kelly March 27, 2013 at 2:16 pm

The HCMA will include this in the next newsletter.

scott goyne March 28, 2013 at 9:33 am

My son played baseball for Louisiana state University-Alexandria.On January 19, 2013 he collapsed at practise and died.He was 20 years old.
After weeks of testing, they determined it was ARVD/C that killed him.
Keep up the good work!

Scott Goyne

Dr. John Lynn Jefferies March 28, 2013 at 10:24 am

Scott, I’m so sorry to hear about your son. I’ll be taking questions during an online chat related to this topic, if you know of anyone that might like to join us or help spread the word: https://liveevent.cincinnatichildrensblog.org/

Paul Goodman April 7, 2013 at 8:34 am

Great article! looking forward to listen to the Chat, hopefully work will be slow enough to let me.

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