Sudden cardiac death in the athlete

Athletes are usually fit and healthy, especially the young athlete; therefore, the sudden, unexpected death of an athlete is a disturbing and tragic event. One of the first accounts of sudden death is the apocryphal tale of a long distance runner who brought a message from Marathon to Athens in 490 Be. On arriving in Athens and reporting the news of the military defeat of the Persian army, he fell dead. More recent accounts of athletes dying suddenly have included Loyola Marymount basketball star Hank Gathers (1990), marathon runner Jim Fixx (1984), US Olympic volleyball star Flo Hyman (1986), former professional basketball player Pete Maravich (1980), and 28-year-old Olympic figure skater Sergei Grinkov (1995). These deaths were caused by a variety of cardiovascular conditions. Sudden cardiac death (SCD) does not have a universally accepted definition. The time interval of symptoms, from initial onset to cardiac death, ranges from 1 to 24 hours. Sudden cardiac death implies an unexpected, nontraumatic death from cardiac causes, signaled by an abrupt loss of consciousness within 1 hour of the onset of acute symptoms. The term athlete implies participation in an organized team or individual sport in which regular competition is a component; moreover, an athlete can be presumed to be involved in a regimented exercise program. Athletes known to have succumbed to SCD have been involved in a variety of sports, including basketball, football, running, soccer, hockey, and lacrosse. There is a strong male predilection in SCD cases.(26).