It seems unimaginable — a healthy teenage athlete collapsing from sudden cardiac arrest.
But it happens more often than you’d think.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, about 2,000 young people under the age of 25 die from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) each year in the United States. The leading cause of death in young athletes, SCA occurs when the heart stops beating due to an abnormal heart rhythm, or arrhythmia.
“Often young athletes appear healthy and don’t have any symptoms,” said Apoor Gami, MD, a cardiac electrophysiologist with Midwest Cardiovascular Institute at Endeavor Health Elmhurst Hospital.
If symptoms occur, they can include shortness of breath, a racing heartbeat, chest pain or dizzy spells.
But sometimes these symptoms are mistakenly attributed to being the result of a vigorous workout or are not seen as life-threatening in a healthy teenager.
“Most young athletes don’t know if they are at risk for SCA, but it’s important to know that screening for underlying risks is available in most communities,” Dr. Gami said.
While sudden cardiac death in young people is uncommon, it’s important to be aware of the causes and screenings available.
Some of the conditions that could cause SCA include:
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which occurs when the muscle cells in the heart’s lower chambers thicken, causing an abnormal heart rhythm. This condition is typically inherited, but is often undiagnosed, and is the most common cause of SCA among young people.
- Long QT syndrome, an arrhythmia that causes a fast and chaotic heartbeat.
- Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome, which occurs when an extra electrical pathway in the heart can create a life-threatening arrhythmia that stops the heart from pumping blood.
- Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD), an inherited condition in which scar tissue replaces some of the heart muscle.
Depending on a person’s family history and other risk factors, a physician may recommend a screening such as an electrocardiogram (EKG) or an echocardiogram.
Though most of the time the tests show no cause for concern, for a few, the screenings alert for heart conditions that could lead to sudden cardiac arrest.
If an EKG shows positive for any of the underlying conditions that could lead to SCA, your doctor may request additional tests, recommend not participating in competitive sports, or suggest procedures to address the underlying condition.
Endeavor Health is honored to partner with Young Hearts for Life, the largest youth cardiac detection program in the United States aimed at preventing sudden cardiac death among young people. Endeavor Health’s years-long partnership with Young Hearts for Life has facilitated crucial cardiac screenings in high schools in our communities, including supporting more than 12,000 screenings in 2023.
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