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When young athletes die

post #1 of 23
4/22/10 at 7:58pm
Thread Starter 
Every once in a while, but surprisingly more often than you'd expect, young, seemingly healthy athletes die suddenly during exertion. You hear about it on the news, but there's never any follow-up explaining why it happened. Figure someone will have some insight.

A runner at a local high school died a few days ago, at the very start of a run collapsed and IIRC died en route to hospital following immediate CPR from a student EMT.

This kid went to my high school. I didn't know him but by all accounts a great guy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/31/sports/31runner.html

I work very hard when I swim or run; this phenomenon worries me, apart from the obvious tragedy of losing good kids.
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post #2 of 23
4/22/10 at 8:14pm
My impression is that it's usually due to a congenital heart condition which predisposes to disruption of your hearts normal electrical conducting activity during heavy exercise (Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). You'd either be born with the condition or not... pretty sad stuff when it happens though.
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post #3 of 23
4/22/10 at 8:20pm
^^^ that is correct, it's a congenital thing caused by enlargement of the heart
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post #4 of 23
4/22/10 at 8:26pm
Is it more tragic when a "good kid" dies unexpectedly than when a "bad kid" dies.
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post #5 of 23
4/22/10 at 8:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kris View Post
Is it more tragic when a "good kid" dies unexpectedly than when a "bad kid" dies.

Yes.
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post #6 of 23
4/22/10 at 9:02pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kris View Post
Is it more tragic when a "good kid" dies unexpectedly than when a "bad kid" dies.

Yes.
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post #7 of 23
4/22/10 at 9:04pm
Weird to think that some people would live to old age if only they were just lazy couch potatoes and not runners.
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post #8 of 23
4/22/10 at 9:20pm
That's awful. MIT, chem major, and such a young age. Makes me worry when I run now.
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post #9 of 23
4/22/10 at 9:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by uvmboi13 View Post
That's awful. MIT, chem major, and such a young age. Makes me worry when I run now.

Get an EKG
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post #10 of 23
4/22/10 at 9:58pm
The time you won your town the race
We chaired you through the market-place;
Man and boy stood cheering by,
And home we brought you shoulder-high.

Today, the road all runners come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home,
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town.

Smart lad, to slip betimes away
From fields where glory does not stay,
And early though the laurel grows
It withers quicker than the rose.

Eyes the shady night has shut
Cannot see the record cut,
And silence sounds no worse than cheers
After earth has stopped the ears:

Now you will not swell the rout
Of lads that wore their honours out,
Runners whom renown outran
And the name died before the man.

So set, before its echoes fade,
The fleet foot on the sill of shade,
And hold to the low lintel up
The still-defended challenge-cup.

And round that early-laurelled head
Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead,
And find unwithered on its curls
The garland briefer than a girl's.
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post #11 of 23
4/22/10 at 10:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kris View Post
Is it more tragic when a "good kid" dies unexpectedly than when a "bad kid" dies.

yes
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post #12 of 23
4/23/10 at 1:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by texas_jack View Post
Get an EKG
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is hard to detect without a chest xray to see the size of the heart compared to the chest cavity. thats why its so hard to diagnose early, because young healthy youths rarely have chest xrays done, due to the fact most have never been sick enough/been to a hospital to warrant an xray. on top of that most athletes (especially in high endurance sports) have already enlarged hearts + have low resting Heart rates which look normal for an athlete with a exercise induced hypertrophy (or HCM). what they need after than is an echocardiogram.. (which is hard again because its usually never really considered). worst off most first attacks can be fatal attacks... growing up as Reggie Lewis as my favorite basketball player was a bit of a reason I wanted to go into medicine... my mother (whos also a doctor) pissed me off by saying "he has to retire" after Reggie's first attack. It only took a 2nd attack to kill him. During my internship I had two cases of HCM (both Div 1 college athletes) and basically hoped that they'd retire, but you can't be sure they will.
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post #13 of 23
4/24/10 at 1:38am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by LawrenceMD View Post
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is hard to detect without a chest xray to see the size of the heart compared to the chest cavity.

thats why its so hard to diagnose early, because young healthy youths rarely have chest xrays done, due to the fact most have never been sick enough/been to a hospital to warrant an xray.

on top of that most athletes (especially in high endurance sports) have already enlarged hearts + have low resting Heart rates which look normal for an athlete with a exercise induced hypertrophy (or HCM).

what they need after than is an echocardiogram.. (which is hard again because its usually never really considered).

worst off most first attacks can be fatal attacks...

growing up as Reggie Lewis as my favorite basketball player was a bit of a reason I wanted to go into medicine... my mother (whos also a doctor) pissed me off by saying "he has to retire" after Reggie's first attack. It only took a 2nd attack to kill him.

During my internship I had two cases of HCM (both Div 1 college athletes) and basically hoped that they'd retire, but you can't be sure they will.

You'd think that at some point this would become part of routine screening for marathon/triathlon athletes?
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post #14 of 23
4/24/10 at 1:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by CunningSmeagol View Post
You'd think that at some point this would become part of routine screening for marathon/triathlon athletes?

As I understand it though (and I could be wrong) it doesn't matter what sport it is (except pussy sports like golf and baseball). Any serious physical exertion can cause it, so that would mean screening all "serious" athletes.
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post #15 of 23
4/24/10 at 7:05am
I don't think the intensity of the sport actually matters, it can come from something as mundane as walking or fishing. It is a horrible thing though. Go to your doctors and speak to them about it, they will probably give you an ECG. However there are certain traits such as bouts of dizziness, and heart palpatations that can give early warning. There is a charity in the UK can't rmember the name that is trying to raise awarness of the disease. Sad part is you probably haven't got it if you are past you mid to early twenties.
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