A third of college athletes show irregularities on heart test
NEW YORK - One-third of college athletes show abnormalities on a test of the heart's electrical activity, a new study shows.
These abnormal patterns were more common in male athletes than female athletes, and in black compared with white, according to the study, presented yesterday at the American College of Cardiology's scientific meeting in Orlando, Fla. Overall, between a quarter and half of athletes require further testing to diagnose any heart ailments, the study suggests.
About 300 high school and college athletes die suddenly from heart conditions each year in the United States, the authors wrote. Although the issue was spotlighted in high-profile deaths, such as that of Reggie Lewis, the 27-year-old captain of the Boston Celtics who collapsed in 1993 during practice, and Loyola Marymount University basketball player Hank Gathers, 23, who dropped on the court during a tournament game against the University of Portland, the United States doesn't require screenings for abnormal heart activity.
"Comprehensive screening of college athletes for possible heart problems is feasible, and when abnormalities are found, many can be treated," said Anthony Magalski, a study author and the medical director for the Athletic Heart Clinic at St. Luke's Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Mo., in a statement released by the cardiology conference.
Heart conditions in athletes can be difficult to diagnose, because of changes caused by strenuous workouts, according to the statement. This makes many doctors ignore the results of electrocardiogram tests, or ECGs, which can find abnormalities, which is a mistake, the statement said.
Female athletes tended to have more symptoms of heart trouble, such as chest pain and fainting, and were less likely to have abnormalities on ECGs.
Additional testing was performed on athletes and showed that few had any structural changes in the heart. Two athletes in the 781-person study were barred from competition, one because of a high-risk heart rhythm disorder, and another because of an enlarged aorta. 