Dr. Merle Myerson, a cardiologist at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, stated in a Fox News report that while hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) can kill at any time, exercise subjects the heart to additional stress.

Jim an Sheila Fisher of Waldwick, NJ agree with Dr. Myerson.  Their son, Sean, died while playing football on his 13th birthday.  He had undiagnosed HCM.  Today, the Fishers are leaders in advocating for cardiac screening for teens. 

 They started the Sean Fisher Memorial Foundation, and, working with the Gregory M. Hirsh Foundation, raised money to fund a heart screening program to offer exams to freshman at Waldwick High School. 

Fox News reported that of the 62 students who underwent screenings, two were diagnosed with HCM. 

Dr. Myerson noted that in Italy, cardiac screening using a 12-lead ECG is mandatory for young athletes.

This post paraphrased from a post written by Joe Hage, Director of Marketing Communications at Cardiac Science, dated 8/12/2010

 

Championship Hearts

Young Athlete

Heart Screening Program

 

(For athletes, marching band members, cheerleaders, mountain bikers – anyone who participates in strenuous activities!)

 

July 31, 2010

8:00 am to 12:00 noon

Heart Hospital of Austin

3801 N. Lamar Blvd.

Austin, Texas   78756

AND:

August 28th, 2010

8:00 am to 12:00 noon

Heart Hospital of Austin

3801 N. Lamar Blvd.

Austin, Texas   78756

 

Championship Hearts Foundation screens young athletes, ages 14-18, for a genetic heart condition, ages 14-18, for a genetic heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). This condition, which causes a thickening of the heart wall, typically does not present any symptoms and can lead to obstruction of blood flow and an erratic heartbeat. It is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young people and effects roughly 1 in 500.

　

 

The Championship Hearts screening includes a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and a limited two-dimensional echocardiogram (picture of the heart). A conventional ECHO in an office with a cardiologist is expensive and usually not covered by most insurance plans. Using a “2-minute” ECHO technique, the screening can be done for a fraction of the cost. This screening is offered at no charge in order to screen all student athletes – including those without insurance.

 

Screenings typically take approximately ten minutes per student and are offered to high school students through Traditional events at major hospitals and through Mobile events at local clinic or physician office settings.

　

 

Students at CHF Young Athlete Heart Screening events also have the opportunity to participate in a research study entitled the Texas Adolescent Athlete Heart Screening Registry (TAAHSR). For this optional research, students and their parents are informed of the data to be collected, have an opportunity to ask questions, and complete appropriate Consent and Assent documents. All data collected for the research is de-identified and the study receives oversight from the Austin Multi-Institutional Review Board.

　

 

Championship Hearts screenings are facilitated by Championship Hearts Foundation with the help of volunteer cardiologists from Austin Heart, Children’s Cardiology Associates, Heart Clinic of Austin, and Heart & Vascular of Central Texas who donate their time for this important program.

 

Parental waivers must be signed in order for the student to be screened. Waivers can be found at www.championshipheartsfoundation.org. Consent forms to participate in research will be available at the screening event.

　

 

Student should wear loose fitting clothing (girls should wear a regular bra and front-opening shirt, one of Dad’s button up shirts would be great)

 

Championship Hearts is a free program. However, a suggested contribution of $25 is appreciated. Championship Hearts Foundation is committed to reducing cardiovascular disease in Central Texas through education, awareness, and life-saving technology. Monies received through this program will fund future screenings and other Foundation projects.

 

Championship Hearts Foundation – www.championshipheartsfoundation.org

9442 Capital of Texas Hwy. N, Arboretum Plaza One, Suite 500

Austin, TX 78759

512-340-7313

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TAAHSR – Texas Adolescent Athletic Heart Screening Registry (TAAHSR)

Championship Hearts Foundation (CHF) is sponsoring this TAAHSR Registry.  This registry is a research study that is examining heart screening results for young athletes.  CHF is providing heart screenings for students ages 14 through 18 years of age to study ways to better detect and understand risks of sudden cardiac death (SCD) from Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM).  There will be about 10,000 participants in this study at several locations in Texas, and about 4,000 in the Austin area.

The purpose of this study is to test athletes for cardiac risk and to use the information gained to create a database known as a registry.  A registry is a collection of medical information.  By placing the information of many participants in a database, researchers may be able to increase knowledge about a condition and improve its prevention in the future.

Championship Hearts Foundation is establishing a registry of results from adolescent limited heart screenings for HCM, one cause of SCD.  Sudden cardiac death (also called sudden arrest) is death resulting from a sudden loss of heart function (when the heart stops beating suddenly – cardiac arrest).  HCM is a genetic heart condition, meaning it is easily inherited from famly members.  The lower left chamber of the heart becomes enlarged and causes the blood flow to be impaired.  These screenings will identify students potentially at risk of SCD due to HCM.

The ongoing submission of data to this registry will assist researchers with identifying possible other conditions related to SCD in young populations such as family cardiac history, gender, ethnicity, and body mass index.  The information collected in this study may provide better standards for the normal range of pediatric electrocardiogram and echocardiogram parameters.

Overall SCD is quite rare in otherwise healthy children.  Many abnormalities of the heart can potentially cause SCD.  HCM is probably the most common cause and may often be detected by echocardiogram (an ultrasound of the heart) and/or electrocardiogram (electrical tracing of the heart rhythm-ECG).  HCM causes excessive thickening of the heart muscle and can potentially lead to sudden cardiac arrest.  As a result, it increases the chance of individuals, like young athletes, dying suddenly and without warning.  Most athletes and their family members, who may also be at risk for this genetic condition, are unaware that they might be at risk until sudden cardiac arrest occurs.

Other significant heart abnormalities that may cause SCD may also be detected using and echocardiogram and ECG.  However, screening does not always detect an abnormality even when it is actually present and not all potentially fatal heart abnormalities can be detected by this screening.

Participants and legal guardians are asked to sign a consent form and complete a TAAHSR Registration/History form.  Participants are not paid to participate in this study.  Should there be a potential abnormality, the parent/guardian of record will be notified by a study team member and instructed to seek a comprehensive evaluation by a pediatric cardiologist.

Second round MLS draft pick, Zachary Herold, a Toronto FC rookie, announced his early “retirement” from soccer due to a genetic heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy or HCM.  This condition causes an abnormal thickening of a part of the heart muscle which increases the risk of developing a life-threatening irregular heart rhythm or arrhythmia. 

“Announcing my retirement from soccer at this age is something I never, ever thought would happen to me”, Herold said.  Herold was drafted in the second round, and had made 15 appearances prior to his retirement.

Championship Hearts Foundation offers free heart screenings to student athletes ages 14-18 to screen for HCM.  Below is a list of future heart screenings in Austin area:

June 19th @ Chisholm Trail Pediatrics (Georgetown) – By appointment only

July 31st @ Heart Hospital of Austin (8:00 am to 12:00 noon)

August 28th @ Heart Hospital of Austin (8:00 am to 12:00 noon)

Call Julie for Appointment @ Chisholm Trail Pediatrics – 512/340-7320

On January 21st, 2005, Eastern Connecticut basketball player, Antwoine Key died on the court.  It was determined that he died as a result of sudden cardiac arrest due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).  Antwoine’s parents, Tony and Angela received a $1.6 million dollar malpractice award that they stated happened during the pre-college physical.  Antwoine’s doctor stated that he had a heart murmur, but no further tests were recommended by the doctor. 

The sad part is that had further testing been sought, this condition could have been treated.  Instead, Antwoine was cleared to play. 

Lisa Salberg, founder and CEO of the HCMA states “the average pre-participation  sports screening does little more than ensure that children and teens have no outward illness or abnormality, the use of a stethoscope may appear to be checking your child’s heart, but it’s subpar.”

Championship Hearts Foundation offers free heart screenings to all athletes, band members, cheerleaders, and active athletes.  An ECG and echocardiogram are provided by licensed cardiologists.  The next free heart screening is:

July 31st, 2010

from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon

Heart Hospital of Austin

3801 N. Lamar Blvd.

Austin, Texas  78756

Researchers reported to the Journal of the American Medical Association that routine electroencephalographs as a part of preparticipation physical exams “could reduce sudden cardiac death in young athletes.”  This statement made after studying sudden deaths in young athletes between the years of 1985 and 1995, they found that 85% of the sudden deaths were caused by some type of heart related abnormality.

Of these abnormalities found, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), was the most common disorder.  HCM is a congenital heart disease that causes thickening in the wall of the left ventricle and can lead to electrical problems of the heart and possible arrhythmias. 

The challenge of this disorder is that there often are no signs or symptoms  until an event occurs.  If quality emergency measures are not provided immediately (CPR and AED), the athlete may not recover.

“So, if the athlete has no history of shortness of breath, chest pain, or exertional cardiac symptoms associated with exercise, how can these types of sudden deaths be prevented?”  The article goes on to say that this is a controversial topic in the sports medicine community for a long time especially when media attention focuses on the increase of sudden cardiac deaths in our youth. 

The other study fueling a medical debate is the study performed by Italy over 27 years ago.  The country of Italy mandated the nationwide use of a 12-lead ECG as a part of perparticipation screening  for all athletes.  They followed each participant for 25 years.  Their results showed a 89% reduction in the incidence of sudden cardiac death due to the screening they provided.

So, you might ask, why don’t we have this mandate for ECG’s in our country?  There are pro’s and con’s depending on who you talk to. 

• Cost/logistics
• Limited time,equipment, and personnel
• False positives
• Health insurance coverage
• Other solutions such as AED access

In a perfect world (without financial and personnel limitations), the addition of ECG tests as part of the pre-participation exam would ensure that at-risk athletes would be indentified and referred for advanced cardiac tests. 

No matter how you look at it, ECG’s could reduce the rate of sudden cardiac death in young athletes.

Championship Hearts Foundation offers both an ECG and ECHO at their free heart screenings.  The next heart screening is scheduled on July 31st, 2010 at The Heart Hospital of Austin (3801 N. Lamar Blvd) from 8:00 am to 12:oo noon.

According to an October 21st, 2009 “brief report” in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), a 23 year old male who had no personal knowledge of underlying heart disease repeatedly donated sperm over a 2-year period (1990-1991).  This donor underwent standard testing that was negative for infectious diseases.

JAMA goes on to say “several years later, an offspring was diagnosed with HCM, which triggered the notification to all known recipients of this donor’s sperm that an inherited form of heart disease could have been transmitted to their children.”  As a result, genetic testing was offered first to the donor and later to the offspring.

Twenty-two children are known to have been products of this sperm donation.  Of these, 16 have been tested for the Arg169Gly mutation (associated with HCM) and 8 were positive.  Eight other offsprings were tested and were negative.

However, 3 of these “positive” offspring had major health problems:  2 year old offspring died of HCM with intractable heart failure, 2 offspring had massive LV hypertrophy, as well as the donor with extensive myocardial fibrosis. 

The donor also had two children conceived with his wife, one of these children tested positive for HCM. 

The comment by doctors working on this case study remarked that they are aware of only one other documented instance in which a genetic disease was transmitted to an offsping by sperm donation.

While the FDA has regulated donor eligibility and sperm banks for compliance with the guidelines offered by the American Society of Reproductive Medicine and the American Association of Tissue Banks, its regulations for sperm banks have focused disproportionately on communicable diseases and not toward the detection of inherited cardiovascular diseases. 

Available screening guidelines rely largely on obtaining a family history which is a strategy not likely to be particularly effective for those with HCM.  HCM rarely has symptoms.

The answer from this group of physicians:  Provide the public with information about this issue and instituting the possibility of screening strategies for donors to prevent future undesirable propatigation of genetic cardiovascular diseases such as HCM.

According to Daviess County (Ky.) coroner Bob Howe, University of Southern Indiana basketball player, Jeron Lewis suffered from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).  Lewis, a senior, collapsed during a game Jauary 14th at Kentucky Wesleyan.  Sadly, the 21-year-old suffered sudden cardiac arrest brought on by HCM.

HCM, or an enlarged heart, has been blamed in a number of deaths involving athletes.  Another elite athlete, Gaines Adams, defensive end with the Chicago Bears died January 17th, also, of an enlarged heart caused by HCM. 

Championship Hearts Foundation is offering a free heart screening in Austin, Texas this Saturday, February 20th from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon at Heart Hospital of Austin, 3801 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin, Texas.  No appointments necessary, first come, first serve.

Greg Tufaro, staff writer for mycentraljersey.com details the deaths of two popular Middlesex County high school students due to Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM).  Mr. Tufaro questions the fact that unlike their professional counterparts, scholastic student-athletes are not required to submit to cardiac screening.

“The NFL, NBA, and NHL provide cardiac screening in the form of an electrocardiogram and/or echocardiogram for all players, but high school sports programs nationwide require only that student-athletes complete  a pre-participation form and undergo an annual physical” states Mr. Tufaro.

The families of two 17 year old seniors from Edison and South Brunswick who collapsed and died during track practice and while playing in a recreation basketball game, respectively, said they believe cardiac screening could have prevented both boy’s deaths. 

This article went on to state that there is no screening programs in place, except one in Texas, Championship Hearts Foundation. 

New Jersey is concerned enough to form a Student-Athlete Cardiac Screening Task Force to promote educational programs to help deal with these issues and concerns of HCM and other heart anomalies.

The final autopsies are not back on S. Indiana basketball player, Jeron Lewis, age 21, and Chicago Bears defensive end, Gaines Adams, age 26.  Both are suspected of having an “enlarged” heart.  An enlarged heart can be the result of having Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM).

While we are not sure if  HCM is to blame for these two athletes, both are suspect for having HCM.  These two deaths are  a vital reminder that this deadly disease often goes undetected.  HCM is a genetic disease which results in a thickening of the heart muscle and is the leading cause of sudden death in children and young adults.  It accounts for 40 percent of all deaths on the athletic playing fields across the country. 

University of Southern Indiana spokesman Dan McDonnell said he wasn’t aware of any preexisting medical conditions that could have contributed to Jeron’s death.

The Bears franchise is quoted as saying “we are stunned and saddened by the news of Gaines’ passing”.  “Our prayers are with his family during this difficult time.”

Estimated to affect one in 500 Americans, HCM can be detected and treated allowing patients to live long lives.  High school, college and professional athletes should all have comprehensive cardiac exams to ensure they have healthy hearts free from HCM. 

Adams and Lewis are in a subset of those at higher risk for sudden cardiac arrest from HCM as they were both African American males, this population represents 50% of all those who die from HCM in the athletic spectrum (according to the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association- www.4HCM.org). 

Championship Hearts Foundation provides free heart screenings for Central Texas athletes  to screen for HCM.   Please check our website under “upcoming heart screenings” for a future date and time these events.  The screenings are on a first-come, first-serve basis, no reservations required.