We’ve all read the stories: A seemingly healthy teenager dies suddenly on the basketball court or the football field, leaving behind heartbroken parents and puzzled doctors. The phenomenon, known as sudden death (SD), is a frightening prospect for any of us with kids keen on playing sports. But while the ubiquity of news items on SD can make the phenomenon seem like an epidemic, new research offers some comfort: The risk of SDs due to cardiovascular problems in young people is actually exceedingly rare, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Scientific Sessions. Just how rare? In the range of 1 in 100,000, with only 30% of those deaths “due to diseases that could be reliably detected by screening.” To reach that conclusion, investigators mined forensic case records from the US National Registry of Sudden Deaths in Athletes, looking specifically at cases involving high school athletes in Minnesota. In a 26 year span, they found that only 13 athletes died from physical exertion—in seven of those cases, undiagnosed cardiovascular problems were to blame. Still, only four of those conditions could have been “reliably detected” by doctors. “While highly visible events when they occur—they are very emotional understandably—they are very uncommon,” says lead study author Barry Maron, MD. “It is rare. It is a low-event rate phenomenon.” So low-event, in fact, that the likelihood of sudden death is similar to the likelihood of being struck by lightening, Dr. Maron notes. Still, experts are interested in determining the best course of action for preventing as many of the tragedies as possible—though they aren’t sure what that is just yet. “It’s hard, because chest pain is so common in this age group,” he says. “If you say ‘watch for chest pain,’ it’s not clear you’re doing anybody a favor or not.” What’s a parent’s best bet for now? If you have a family history of cardiovascular problems or anomalies, or your child has a heart murmur or elevated systemic blood pressure, the American Heart Association recommends pursuing further screening—namely an ECG or echocardiogram—before allowing kids to partake in sports. More from Prevention: Brain Foods That Kids Need Questions? Comments? Contact Prevention’s News Team.
