Sudden death in young athletes. Lessons from the Hank Gathers affair.

Abstract

Recently, there has been growing interest in the problem of cardiovascular disease in young athletes. Some of the compelling issues are the causes of sudden cardiac death during physical exertion, the appropriateness and practicality of cardiovascular screening before participation in athletic events, and the establishment of guidelines for disqualification from competition14. Several cardiovascular disorders have been implicated as the principal causes of death on the athletic field,412 the most common being hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, congenital anomalies of the coronary arteries, Marfan's syndrome, and (in one series) right ventricular dysplasia13. In most of these disorders, sudden cardiac death . . .