
FLORENCE, Italy, July 4 (UPI) -- Athletes should be screened for heart health because one competitive U.S. athlete dies every three days from an unrecognized heart disorder, a researcher said.
Young athletes who take part in competitive sports should be screened for potentially fatal heart problems before they compete, a study published in the British Medical Journal said.
For the past 25 years, competitive athletes in Italy had to have two electrocardiograms -- a test to measure the electrical activity of the heart -- one at rest and one while exercising.
Dr. Francesco Sofi of the University of Florence and colleagues analyzed data from 30,065 athletes who underwent a complete pre-participation cardiovascular evaluation at the Institute of Sports Medicine in Florence during a five-year period.
During the resting ECGs, the researchers found that 1.2 percent of participants had distinctly abnormal test results. The results from the ECGs taken during exercise found that 4.9 percent of participants had some form of heart abnormality.
The age of people with problems found only during the exercise ECG, was also significantly higher -- 30.9 years old compared to 24.9 years old -- than those who had normal test results.
Of the 159 people disqualified from a sport for heart problems, six would have been identified through regular physical examination alone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Additional Health News Stories | |
MIAMI, May 27 (UPI) --
Tropical Storm Beryl neared hurricane strength ahead of its expected landfall Sunday night on the Southeast Coast of the United States, U.S. forecasters said.
|
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., May 27 (UPI) --
Bluegrass legend Arthel "Doc" Watson was in critical condition following colon surgery at a hospital in Winston-Salem, N.C., his representative said.
|
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, May 27 (UPI) --
A black bear didn't go over a river but went to the woods after scampering through residential and industrial areas of Anchorage, Alaska, police said.
|
To avoid a meltdown in 2006, Ford Motor Co. mortgaged the farm putting up its assets – including its Blue Oval logo, and F-150 pickup and iconic Mustang trademarks – to secure $23.5 billion in credit.
|
| Stories | Photos | People | Comments |
View Caption