Dual screening tests for heart defects in young athletes recommended
November 16th, 2009 - 3:40 pm ICT by ANI ( Leave a comment )Washington, Nov 16 (ANI): A new research from heart experts at Johns Hopkins has recommended that in order to best detect early signs of life-threatening heart defects in young athletes, screening programs should include both popular diagnostic tests, not just one of them.
Theodore Abraham, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and its Heart and Vascular Institute, said that sudden cardiac death due to heart rhythm disturbances is blamed for more than 3,000 deaths a year in young people, especially athletes who have inherited tendencies to develop overly enlarged and thickened hearts.
In some instances, top athletes have died from heart conditions while seemingly in peak physical form, something that can hide warning signs and allow many cases to go undiagnosed.
In the new study, Abraham and colleagues analyzed data from 134 top Maryland high school athletes that they screened at the 2008 track and field state championships.
The researchers were looking for life-threatening cardiac abnormalities, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathies.
Doctors took a medical history, took weight and blood pressure measurements and listened for unusual heartbeats or murmurs.
They also conducted an echocardiogram - a cardiac ultrasound, or ECHO - to measure heart size and pumping function and to check for faulty heart valves; and an electrocardiogram, or EKG, to assess the heart’s electrical rhythms.
None of the student athletes were found to have life-threatening heart defects, but abnormal findings were discovered in 36 athletes.
Twenty two of those abnormalities were found by EKG alone, nine by ECHO alone and five were picked up on both tests.
Those with abnormalities - which included 19 with high blood pressure, 29 with elevated blood pressure in need of future monitoring, and five with low blood pressure readings - were referred for follow-up to their doctors.
“If you are going to screen, it has to be comprehensive,” Abraham said.
The study has been presented Nov. 15 at the American Heart Association’s (AHA) annual Scientific Sessions in Orlando. (ANI)
- Screening can detect potentially serious heart conditions in healthy kids - Mar 18, 2011
- Screening can spot heart conditions in healthy kids - Mar 18, 2011
- Shockable cardiac arrests 'more common in public settings than home' - Jan 27, 2011
- Study reveals links to abnormal rhythms behind sudden death, heart damage - Dec 21, 2010
- Heart drug cuts prostate cancer risk - Apr 03, 2011
- Ibuprofen linked to life-threatening potassium deficiency - Mar 20, 2011
- Moderate-to-heavy alcohol intake may increase risk of abnormal heart rhythm - Feb 15, 2011
- Twitter as a lifesaver? - Nov 13, 2011
- Potential treatment target for congenital heart disease identified - Feb 22, 2011
- Genetic code of sudden death cardiac killer cracked - Oct 26, 2010
- Hypothermia therapy can benefit younger cardiac patients too - Apr 04, 2011
- Sperm donor passes heart defect to offspring - Oct 21, 2009
- Delhi homemaker gets new heart - May 31, 2011
- Gene therapy can treat pulmonary hypertension: Study - Oct 25, 2010
- Israel makes device to monitor troops' health - Jun 30, 2011
Tags: abnormal findings, blood pressure measurements, blood pressure readings, cardiac abnormalities, cardiac ultrasound, heart conditions, heart defects, heart experts, heart rhythm disturbances, heart size, heart valves, high blood pressure, johns hopkins university, johns hopkins university school, johns hopkins university school of medicine, low blood pressure, low blood pressure readings, maryland high school, signs of life, sudden cardiac death
