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 THE YOUNG ATHLETE AND HEART DISEASE
The American Heart Association has released guidelines recommending pre-participation screenings of young athletes. Each year though, we lose student athletes to Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) even after being cleared to participate in sport programs. Standard physical exams performed by the family physician may not be enough to detect the most recognized cause of SCD - Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM). According to the American Heart Association, 36% of athletes who died while competing had probable or definite HCM, a condition that affects 1 out of every 500 people in the U.S. HCM is a genetic heart disease resulting in the thickening of the heart muscle, which can ultimately result in cardiac failure. Fortunately deaths related to HCM among student athletes are rare but Georgia has seen more than its share in the past few years.
 WHAT CAN A PARENT DO?
The best method for detecting most heart anomalies is an echocardiogram, a test normally performed at hospitals or physicians clinics when symptoms warrant. These tests are expensive though and are generally not covered by insurance when no symptoms are present. It is often the very lack of symptoms though that make SCD among student athletes that much more surprising and tragic. Now however, with the availability of portable ultra-sound equipment, echocardiograms can conveniently be performed right at school where student athletes can quickly be scanned.
 WHAT IS AN ECHOCARDIOGRAM?
An Echocardiogram (Echo) is a type of ultrasound exam, which allows cardiologists to view the heart. A registered sonographer will apply a gel to the area of the chest then place a small transducer on the skin to take pictures of the heart that allow the cardiologist to see the heart structure, blood flow etc. The Echo can be an invaluable tool in ruling out the presence of HCM and obstruction of blood flow to the heart. While no tests or screenings can uncover every heart problem, echocardiograms are one of the best tools we have to detect HCM. Screenings are performed by an experienced, registered sonographer and take only 5 to 10 minutes. The tests are evaluated by a cardiologist here in Georgia. Should any abnormalities be detected a recommendation will be made to the student's parents/guardian to follow up with a physician of their choice for consultation/treatment.
 HOW MUCH DOES THE PROGRAM COST?
Smart Heart Scans for athletes is a joint endeavor between BESTT for U.S., Incorporated a 501 (c) (3 ) non-profit corporation, On Site Imaging, Inc. and Dr. Scott Westermeyer. In an effort to make these cardiac screenings affordable to all, the cost for Smart Heart Scans is set at $65.
PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION (PHI)
Our guiding principle is that all staff and cardiologists safeguard the veracity and the privacy of protected health information (PHI) pertaining to all patients. The purpose is to make certain that the “Smart Heart Scans” for athletes program provides the highest quality diagnostic screenings possible while protecting the privacy of participants. |
