Athletics: Before You Start, Check Your Heart

Fall marks the start of school athletic programs and recreational sports leagues. You may occasionally have heard on the news about a student’s suffering a heart attack or passing out during athletic activity. Fortunately, this is a rare occurrence. Most important is to know that many times, these events can be prevented.

For young athletes, the cause of sudden collapse or heart attack is most often due to congenital heart problems. This is when a person is born with an abnormality in his or her heart that may not have been detected. One abnormality is “hypertrophic cardiomyopathy,” or a thickening of parts of the heart muscle that prevents blood from flowing out of the heart.

For older athletes (over 35 years old), heart attacks during exercise are most often due to underlying coronary artery disease, or build-up of atherosclerotic plaque inside the coronary arteries that bring blood to the heart muscle.

The vast majority of people both young and old can exercise safely. For those just starting out, it is important to begin slowly and gradually build up the intensity, duration, and frequency of your exercise sessions. When should someone have a cardiac evaluation? It is important to be screened if you have:

1. A family history of sudden cardiac death, irregular heart rhythms, congenital heart problems, or having a “device” such as a defibrillator or pacemaker;
2. Multiple cardiovascular risk factors, such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, or a family member who had heart problems at a young age;
3. Such symptoms as shortness of breath, chest pain or pressure, fainting or feeling like you might faint, or palpitations (feeling like your heart is pounding or racing, skipping a beat, or fluttering);
4. Have been told that your heart exam or your electrocardiogram (EKG) is abnormal.

Mount Sinai Roosevelt and Mount Sinai St. Luke’s have a program dedicated to cardiac screening for those who want to be active or play competitive sports. Dr. Merle Myerson, a cardiologist and exercise specialist, directs the program. For an appointment or to speak with Dr. Myerson, call (212) 492-5550.