Today at the 12th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) Dr. Mark S. Link, an electrophysiologist and Professor of Medicine, Tufts University, addressed the topic, "Athletes and Sudden Death Syndrome." Athletes and Sudden Death Syndrome (ASDS) is an often fatal syndrome occurring in young athletes. Dr. Link presented findings which showed that by following some very simple steps, lives could be saved. One step would be using safety baseballs and chest protectors for young baseball players. He outlined factors commonly associated with ASDS and the frequent underlying link to heart failure. Dr. Link discussed other athletic activities found to trigger ASDS, as well as other possible underlying (and undiagnosed) medical conditions i.e., hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Long QT Syndrome, Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy and commotio cordis (see also Cardiomyopathy).
"While optimal screening measures have not yet been determined, research does show crucial measures to prevent death and injury in young athletes do exist," said Dr. Link. "For example, safety baseballs, which feel like standard balls but reduce the force of an impact would serve to reduce the incidence of sudden death with ball impact." Dr. Link listed factors that define high-risk groups for ASDS, such as age and gender, explaining that baseball is the sport most likely to cause an arrhythmia which can occur when a baseball is delivered at a certain velocity and hits an individual's chest at a precise moment during the cardiac cycle, causing an arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. Link added that a third preventative step would be to change the rules in certain sports. For example, a young college-aged male lacrosse player died while attempting to block a ball with his chest. The cause of his death was commotio cordis. Should rules for sports be changed to help prevent these avoidable catastrophes?
Mortality rates in Athlete Sudden Death Syndrome are most common in the 25 and younger age group, most occurring between the ages of 5 - 16. "Athlete Sudden Death Syndrome in relation to heart failure opens a very important forum for the prevention of these deaths considering the large percentage of the population that is involved with athletics and especially because the average age ASDS affects is so very young," said Dr. Barry Greenberg, HFSA President and Professor of Medicine, and Director, Advanced Heart Failure Treatment Program, University of California, San Diego.
For a complete list of annual meeting sessions or for details on attending the conference, call (617) 226-7192 or visit www.hfsa.org and click on Annual Scientific Meeting. There is no registration fee for accredited journalists. Interview areas will be available on-site in addition to a fully-staffed press room with phone and internet accessibility.
Keywords: Arrhythmia, Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia, Cardiology, Cardiomyopathies, Cordis Corporation, Heart Failure, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Long QT Syndrome, Long-QT Syndrome, Pharmaceutical Business, Pharmaceutical Company, Sudden Death, Ventricular Cardiomyopathy, The Heart Failure Society of America.
This article was prepared by Heart Disease Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2008, Heart Disease Weekly via NewsRx.com.
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