ECG screening may not help young athletes

DALLAS, May 27 (UPI) -- A U.S. cardiologist suggests screening every young athlete to identify an inherited cause of sudden cardiac death may be ineffective.

Dr. Benjamin Levine of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, who is also director of the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, says research shows the chance of athletes ages 8-35 dying of a sudden cardiac arrest is similar to that of dying from a lightning strike.

People in this age group are far more likely to die from cancer or automobile accidents, Levine says.

"When the athlete is part of a middle or high school community, and the death occurs in the public arena of a sports competition, they capture a lot of attention and concern about what to do to prevent such events," Levine says in a statement.

Some physicians have recommended recently that every young athlete be screened via an electrocardiogram, which measures electrical activity of the heart to identify some of the inherited causes of sudden cardiac death.

"We don't have a clear idea of what to do with otherwise healthy asymptomatic young people who have abnormalities picked up on routine screening," Levine says. "Many who are not at risk may be excluded from participation in sport, and for those who are excluded, it is not clear whether their outcome is changed, but it is premature to mandate ECG screening for the broad population of athletes until more data are available."