SCREENING COLLEGE ATHLETES MAY HELP PREVENT INCIDENTS OF SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH

HealthDay (6/1, Dallas) reported that "screening college athletes for heart conditions before they participate in sports could help prevent incidents of sudden cardiac death, according to a new study" published in The American Journal of Medicine. In the study, "nearly one in four athletes tested either had a distinct heart abnormality or symptoms that required further screening." The authors of the study "noted that American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guidelines for pre-participation screening effectively identified nearly 25 percent of athletes who were candidates for heart screening based on history or symptoms

POSTED BY STEVEN ALMANY, MD