Teen Athletes and Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Last week, fans were shocked when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field during a Monday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals. It was later reported that Hamlin had suffered a cardiac arrest, when the heart stops beating properly. Doctors explained that, when hit with enough blunt force, at a specific point in the heartbeat cycle, a healthy heart could start beating so fast that it stops pumping blood. Dr. Comilla Sasson, an emergency medicine physician in Denver, told NBC News, “It’s not about how hard of a hit it was. It’s actually about the timing of when the blow happens.”

According to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) claims the lives of over 2,000 children and teens in the U.S. each year. It’s also the leading cause of death in young athletes. Although SCA can happen during freak accidents, like Hamlin’s injury, it is typically caused by undetected, preexisting heart conditions. Doctors say many young people aren’t aware that they may be at risk, so annual physical evaluations are an important way to catch heart abnormalities before they cause serious health problems.



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