Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death among athletes, but the incidence of such deaths has only been estimated, to date, because reporting has not been mandatory.
A new study by University of Washington researchers, with collaborators in the United Kingdom and Qatar, suggests that the incidence may be 1 in 50,000 — four times higher than the most frequently cited figure of 1 in 200,000 athletes.
Two journals, Heart and the British Journal of Sports Medicine, simultaneously published the study online. The lead author is Dr. Kimberly Harmon, a UW professor of family medicine and of orthopedics and sports medicine.
Read more at: http://hsnewsbeat.uw.edu/story/athletes-sudden-heart-deaths-eclipse-past-estimates-study
08/01/2014