DETROIT – Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in young athletes, often caused by an undiagnosed heart condition. Screening can help detect many of these conditions, and a free opportunity is coming up to get teenagers checked.
The Corewell Health Student Heart Check program has been carrying out this mission for 19 years.
“We are a program that does free heart screenings for kids age 13 to 18 in our communities in an effort to be able to identify the 1 in 300 youth that are at risk for sudden cardiac arrest,” said Jennifer Shea.
To date, the program has screened more than 22,000 students. Of those, about 2,400 were referred to their physicians for follow-up but could continue sports, while 240 were found to be at risk for conditions that could cause sudden cardiac arrest and were referred to cardiologists.
Unlike a basic sports physical, the heart check includes an echocardiogram, EKG, and blood pressure check.
Unlike a basic sports physical, the heart check includes an echocardiogram, EKG, and blood pressure measurement. The screenings often detect conditions such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart muscle, and electrical disorders like Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome and long QT syndrome. These conditions can cause sudden cardiac arrest in athletes or others who may be unaware they have them.
Students will also learn hands-only CPR and how to use an AED.
“So students come in for their own heart check, but they leave knowing how to save somebody. And so we really want to make sure that everybody is aware that they can be the person to help save somebody, you don’t have to be waiting for a first responder in that situation, you are the first responder,” Shea said.
The next student heart check is on Saturday, Feb. 7, at Hazel Park High School. Registration is required in advance, and a limited number of spots are still available.