PartnersHub is working with the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center on a free live Q and A to help active families understand the risk factors of sudden heart failure in student athletes.
DID YOU KNOW?
If defibrillation is administered within one minute of collapse, the survival rate for sudden heart failure goes up 90 percent. “Timing is key to survival. Waiting even 10 minutes to defibrillate drops the chances of survival to 10 percent,” says John Lynn Jefferies, MD.
This issue has really hit home for all of us here recently and we want to do what we can to help shed light on this issue.
This is a free, live, on-line Q and A where you can ask questions in real time. It’s a chance to talk to knowledgeable and experienced doctors and get answers right on the spot.
The Q and A takes place April 9th from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. EST with Jeffrey Towbin, MD and John Lynn Jefferies, MD.
Check out the link below for more information!
RSVP Here! : http://liveevent.cincinnatichildrensblog.org/events/heart-failure-athletes
MORE INFO BELOW!
Top 5 risk factors for sudden heart failure in student athletes:
1. Family history of sudden death.
2. Fainting or family history of fainting.
3. Family history of arrhythmias or heart muscle disease.
4. Participation in sports (particularly sports that require a burst of activity like basketball, hockey and football).
5. Athlete has gone through puberty (an athlete’s body is stronger at this point and has power during the burst of activity).
How is Cincinnati Children’s helping to prevent sudden heart failure in student athletes?
Cincinnati Children’s is conducting a long-term study that examines screening options that could be utilized to help identify
student athletes with heart problems that could lead to sudden death. Preliminary results from this study indicate that an
abbreviated echo is a fiscally responsible screening tool.
What you can do in your community to protect your kids from sudden heart failure:
If defibrillation is administered within one minute of collapse, the survival rate for sudden heart failure goes up 90 percent. “Timing is key to survival. Waiting even 10 minutes to defibrillate drops the chances of survival to 10 percent,” says John Lynn Jefferies, MD, director of cardiomyopathy and advanced heart failure at Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute
Find out if your community schools and recreational sports programs provide portable defibrillator during all athletic events. If your school or community does not have these in place, become an advocate to place these devices into your schools and
community athletic fields.
Know the stats about sudden heart failure in student athletes:
It’s estimated that about 30 million high school and middle school kids participate in competitive sports programs.
Source: American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM)
In 2012, the American Heart Association reported 10,235 cases of sudden cardiac arrest nationally in youth. Often these children fall victim to sudden heart
failure while at schools or on a playing field. School-age athletes are particularly vulnerable.
Basketball and Football are the sports most associated with sudden heart failure in student athletes, however any sport that requires a burst of power (acceleration, sprinting, jumping, etc) can be at risk.
About Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute
Cardiomyopathy and Advanced Heart Failure Cincinnati Children’s is a national leader in the diagnosis, treatment and research of all forms of pediatric and adult cardiomyopathy and advanced heart failure. Our knowledge of the underlying genetic basis of cardiomyopathy and how it affects the heart informs our early detection and intervention therapies. Because of the genetic basis of cardiomyopathy, our experts treat multiple generations of families.
