I have to ask this (Heart Question)

[Trbfan]

I just read a story of a 22 year old American soccer player who basically just dropped dead of supposedly natural causes (It was at a bar, and he had been injured), so there are other possibilities in there, but I dont know.


I am good with facts..figures..numbers, whatever. I am 21 myself so it hits home. How often do things like this happen where a healthy younger person just drops like that? How high are the odds? I remember seeing a big push to get teens tested for things like cardiomyopathy because it caused issues like this, then I read that only 500 "teens" in the entire country had this happen to them all year. Well..theres probably 6,000-8,000 teens in my little county alone, much less several million across the country. After 3 echos, a ct scan, multiple ecg's you would think the odds are even less. I know it happens, but its like..how likely is it..It's probably the #1 anxiety cause for me.

[Trbfan]

Any ideas?

[Anxious_gal]

There does seem to be a link with professional athletes and heart attacks. it's called Athletic heart syndrome. It's some thing to do with the fact that they are so fit that their heart rates tend to be lower and often the hearts are enlarged. But is usually diagnosed during a routine screening. The low heart rate would show up on an ECG and the enlarged heart would show up on an heart ultra sound.

[Trbfan]

Well..on my first ECG is said "Possible left atrial enlargement" but the doctor kinda said it was nothing and said the test could have been inconclusive because I was shaking so much. The other ECG's I had said my heart was entirely normal except for sinus bradycardia (or slow) but JUST barely. As it was 60, and apparently the machine cut off was 61 for normal. My heart rate is consistently in the lower 60s. I did have 3 echos that I would thought would have shown it to be enlarged at all, and the 3D CT scan.
.