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.

A recent story published in the LA Times (Jeannine Stein, 11/23/09) suggests that comprehensive screenings could be the answer to the tragedy of a young athlete dying of an undiagnosed heart condition.  Health histories and screenings were conducted on 134 Maryland high school athletes attending the state track and field championships in 2008. 

Dr. Aurelio Pinheiro of the the Johns Hopkins School of medicine and his colleagues were specifically looking for cardiac abnormalities such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart muscle that makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood.

Of the 134 athletes tested (tests included an echocardiogram, an EKG, blood pressure, and health history), abnormalities of some kind were found in 36 athletes.  Of those 36, 22 were found via EKG alone and five by both tests. 

Dr. Pinheiro states that these findings argue for routine testing of athletes, suggesting that such testing should be comprehensive and not reliant on just an EKG or an echocardiogram.  

This study was presented at the American Heart Association’s annual scientific sessions conference in Orlando, Florida in November, 2009.