Cardiac arrest high among certain athletes: Expert Wednesday, 17 November 2010 02:24

DOHA: Sudden deaths due to cardiac arrest among basketball and football players are higher than other athletes, says a sports medicine expert.

“Sudden cardiac death among basketball and football players is higher than others,” said Prof Fabio Pigozzi, President of International Federation for Sports Medicine.

Prof Pigozzi was among the guest speakers at the Medical Session held on the second day of Aspire4Sport conference and exhibition at Aspetar.

Sudden cardiac death is a very frequent occurrence and over 25 percent takes place during a competition. Interestingly, epidemiology studies have found out that this type of deaths do not occur during on-field violence, said Prof Pigozzi.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease of the muscle of the heart where a portion of the myocardium is thickened without any obvious cause. It is perhaps most well-known as a leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes.

“The main cause for sudden cardiac death is Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and coronary artery disease,” Prof Pigozzi said.

Coronary artery disease or atherosclerotic heart disease is the end result of the accumulation of athermanous plaques within the walls of the coronary arteries that supply the muscles of the heart with oxygen and nutrients.

“To minimise sudden deaths due to cardiac arrest athletes should undergo clinical evaluation before entering competitive sports,” said Prof Pigozzi.

This evaluation should include the medical history and physical examination according to the Italian protocol, explained Prof Pigozzi.

Dr Michael Turner, CMO Lawn Tennis Association, British Horseracing Authority, Dr Franco Combi, Chief Medical Staff, FC Internazipnale Milano, Dr Francesco Benazzo, Orthopaedic Consultant, FC Internazipnale Milano and Dr Hakim Chalabi, Assistant Chief Medical Officer and Director of National Sports, Medicine Programme, Aspetar too made presentations at the session. The Sport Medicine team was shown the Aspetar, Qatar's Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, and its medicine facilities.

They witnessed the facilities of the internationally accredited standards in the treatment of orthopaedic problems and athletic injuries, and use the latest technology to guide patients through rehabilitation for complete recovery.

The Peninsula

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