Spotlight On: Student Athletes

When can heart conditions affect student athletes?

With the start of school comes sports physicals for many student athletes. Find out how an important screening tool can help detect life-threatening heart conditions.

What types of heart conditions affect student athletes? 

Sudden death in athletes is a rare but devastating event. The most common cause among young people is Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy. Other life-threatening conditions include Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia, Brugada syndrome and long QT.

EKGs (electrocardiograms) can find many of these conditions before it is too late. This test checks for problems with the electrical activity of the heart. At UVA, we follow evidence based guidelines which suggest screening EKGs and echocardiograms (ECHO or sonograms of the heart) on all incoming athletes. The problem with EKG screening is that there are many false positives and the physician must be skilled in evaluating athletes.

Do I need to be concerned if our family does not have a history of heart problems? 

While a family history is important in predicting a problem, many sudden deaths occur in people without a family history of problems. So having a healthy family is not a guarantee of safety. 

What are the signs and symptoms to watch for in my child? 

Passing out or chest pain with exercise is the most worrisome. Light-headedness or the sensation of a fast heart rate are also symptoms. However, many athletes have no symptoms at all. Sometimes the first symptom can be sudden death. This is why screening is so important. 

What can I do for my child to prevent complications from a heart condition? 

The most important thing is diagnosis. This is often found by a medical history and physical exam and then an EKG. The EKG is somewhat controversial since it can cause many false positive results. However, with a careful read experts can pick up some problems early. 

If I my child is diagnosed with a heart condition, will they be able to continue playing sports? 

It depends on the condition. In general, if we can treat the condition, the athlete can play.