“The family further stated that the cardiac arrest was due to “an undetected genetic heart condition”
Aren’t all athletes now screened for any genetic heart problems they might have before they are permitted to play even at the high school level?
Yes. So?
“Aren’t all athletes now screened for any genetic heart problems they might have before they are permitted to play even at the high school level?”
No. Some heart conditions are already on the books but many are not seen easily and are not part of the medical evaluation of youth athletes.
Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in young athletes. Estimates vary, but some reports suggest that about 1 in 50,000 to 1 in 80,000 young athletes die of sudden cardiac death each year. For comparison, the incidence of sudden cardiac arrest in the general population is about 1 in 1,000 people yearly.
Sudden cardiac death is often caused by faulty electrical signaling in the heart. A very fast heartbeat causes the lower heart chambers (ventricles) to quiver uselessly instead of pumping blood. This irregular heart rhythm is called ventricular fibrillation. Any condition that strains the heart or damages heart tissue can increase the risk of sudden death.
Many athletes that had a heart event had no prior evidence of the problem. I would have to consider myself an athlete with my being in the military for a career and I had no idea I had heart disease. And my father showed no symptoms of one until he was in his 50’s and had his first heart attack.
A sports physical, unless there are signs is a listen to and a concern for noticed things like sounds that indicate more erious possibilities. Other than that, it beats so go play.
wy69