Echoes for Athletes
Recent events have brought the issue of Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) to the forefront. Although rare, fatal heart ailments in young athletes lurk beneath the surface and cardiac arrest can strike without warning. Screening your child is an effective, non-invasive way to rule out potentially harmful structural heart abnormalities.
Screening Events
Cardiac screenings are available for students in grades seven through twelve to discount the structural abnormalities that can lead to premature cardiac arrest. Heart Partners of Indiana, in partnership with Indiana University Health Cardiovascular, and Dr. Edward Harlamert have championed this cause over the last two years in partnership with numerous local high schools.
A screening event can be organized at your local area high school at no charge, and Heart Partners will handle most of the planning, organization and execution. If you would like to host a screening event at your school, ask your athletic director to call our offices at 317.863.6007, and we will be happy to help. To request additional information regarding screening events, please email us at gdisque@iuhealth.org.
An echocardiogram helps detect structural heart diseases and the following conditions:
Marfan Syndrome
Marfan Syndrome is a genetic disorder of the connective tissue that can affect the skeleton, eyes, heart and blood vessels. It is estimated that more than 200,000 people in the U.S. are affected by Marfan Syndrome or a related connective tissue disorder. Marfan Syndrome is often hereditary, but approximately 25-30% of affected people are the first in their family to have the disorder, thousands do not even know they have it. People with Marfan Syndrome are at risk of aortic enlargement, without proper management (ie. drug therapy and lifestyle modifications), the aorta - the large blood vessel carrying blood away from the heart - is prone to enlarge and could dissect, tear, or rupture. An aortic rupture is usually fatal. Learn more about Marfan Syndrome.
Mitral Valve Prolapse
Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP) occurs when the valve between your heart's left upper chamber (left atrium) and the lower chamber (left ventricle) doesn't close properly. When the left ventricle contracts, the valve's flaps bulge (prolapse) upward or back into the atrium. Mitral Valve Prolapse sometimes leads to blood leaking backward into the left atrium, a condition called mitral valve regurgitation. In most people Mitral Valve Prolapse isn't life-threatening and doesn't require treatment or lifestyle changes. Some people with Mitral Valve Prolapse, however, require treatment. Learn more about Mitral Valve Prolapse.
Aortic Stenosis
Aortic Stenosis is abnormal narrowing of the aortic valve. When the degree of narrowing becomes significant enough to impede the flow of blood from the left ventricle to the arteries, heart problems develop. Learn more about Aortic Stenosis.
Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is a complex type of heart disease that affects the heart muscle. It is condition which includes the thickening of the heart - especially the ventricles (lower heart chambers) - left ventricular stiffness, changes to the mitral valve and cellular changes. Learn more about Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy.
How You Can Help
The John H. Stewart Foundation was created with the primary goal of raising awareness about cardiovascular disease in children and young athletes. John was an Indiana high school basketball star who suddenly fell victim to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy during a regular season game. Hear the story of his tragic loss and learn what you can do to help the foundation’s cause by visiting johnstewartfoundation.org.