Journal of Applied Biosciences (J. Appl. Biosci.) [ISSN 1997 - 5902]
Volume 53: 3725 - 3733. Published May 29, 2012.
Sudden cardiac death: A concern in the sports fraternity.
*Elizabeth Walubengo Mse and Issah W. Kweyu
Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Health Promotion and of Sports Science, P.O. Box 190, 50100 Kakamega, Kenya,
RESUME
The purpose of this review article is to create awareness and understanding of the phenomenon of sudden cardiac death in the sports fraternity. Causes of sudden cardiac among persons under 35 (<35) years are hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (disease of the myocardium/heart), congenital anomalies of coronary artery (diseases characterized by structural deformities), aortic rupture or tear or rapture of the aorta (Mar fan`s syndrome), myocarditis (inflammation of the myocardium due to a viral infection), mitral valve prolapse (heart valve abnormality), aortic valve stenosis (abnormal narrowing of the valve), sarcodosis(inflammation of various organs of the body ) and arrhythmias(irregular heart beat). (Sharma et al, 2000) Among persons above 35 (>35) years, sudden cardiac death is caused by coronary heart disease (atherosclerosis), left ventricular dysfunction, myocardial ischemia, presence of cardiac arrhythmias and additional medical problems such as hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes mellitus. However, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, mitral valve heart disease and mar fan`s syndrome are causes of sudden cardiac death associated with structural abnormalities (Boker, 1997 and Basso, et. al, 2000). Personnel in charge of teams need to go an extra mile in screening sportsmen and sportswomen in their custody in order to have a clear view of their health status before they engage them in any physical activity. It is prudent to note that generally, sudden cardiac death is a rare occurrence. Sporting activities however should not be deemed to cause this phenomenon but rather sports persons may have had an underlying defect before falling victim of sudden cardiac death. Sports personnel should care to advocate or recommend participation in screening for health and legal implications.
Key Words: Sport, Sudden Cardiac Death, Screening,
.
FULL PAPER [PDF AVAILABLE HERE]
