Additional Facts:
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).
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This is a good article. I’m sure some parents get concerned this could happen to their child athlete. It is good to know some indicators and/or triggers that make it more likely to happen, even though it isn’t all that common. However, when it happens, people are taken aback as it is so startling, and didn’t see it coming at all. I’m sure even with all the risk factors, a parent could have a hard time discouraging their child from being in a sport, the child would think the parent is overprotective.