February 19, 2021

 

Cricketer Dies of a Heart Attack – Know if Heart Conditions are Common Among Athletes

 

In a tragic accident, a cricketer died after suffering from a heart attack during a local tournament in Maharashtra’s Pune district. The incident took place in Junnar city, where the batsman collapsed suddenly after a heart attack. The video that surfaced showed that Babu Nalawade was at non-striker’s end when it happened. This is not the first time such an incident has happened; many athletes over the years have died of a cardiac arrest. A similar incident occurred in Odhisa’s Kendrapara. 

Are Athletes Prone To Heart Attacks?

Stories such as Nalawade shock us – an athlete in good physical condition suffering from a heart attack? According to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, cardiovascular diseases responsible for sudden unexpected death is majorly related to the age of the patient. 

Some studies suggest that sudden death in athletes who are 35 years or above suffer from coronary artery disease due to atherosclerosis. For athletes under 35 years of age, sudden death is majorly related to congenital or genetic heart conditions. In some cases, it could be due to infections or inflammatory disease. Another study in the Methodist Debakey Cardiovascular journal suggests that sudden cardiac death is the most common medical cause of death in athletes. 

Common Heart Conditions Among Athletes 

Studies suggest that the cardiac conditions that may increase the risk of sudden death in young athletes include:

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Congenital Abnormalities Of The Coronary Arteries

Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP)

Myocarditis

Marfan Syndrome

Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC)

Congenital Heart Disease

 

Source: https://www.thehealthsite.com/news