Contents
Danish footballer Christian Eriksen suffered a heart attack on Saturday during a game. We managed to save him, now his condition is stable. However, cardiac deaths of soccer players are more common than you might think. Why is a young, athletic and seemingly well-tested athlete at such risk?
- Cases of heart attacks and even deaths from this are not uncommon in the world of sport. Due to a heart attack, they died, among others Cameroonian Marc-Vivien Foé and Spanish Antonio Puerta
- As shown by the analysis of EKD and USG, over 11 thousand. English footballers, the probability of sudden death from cardiovascular causes is as much as 7 cases per 100 thousand. “The mortality rate is higher than we thought,” said the British cardiologist
- The most common cause of life-threatening heart problems among soccer players is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a genetic disease
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage.
Heart attack on the pitch – Christian Eriksen and others
During Saturday’s Denmark-Finland Euro 2020 match, Christian Eriksen suddenly fell unconscious on the pitch. It turned out he had a heart attack. Fortunately, the several-minute resuscitation was effective, and the player regained consciousness. He was transported to the hospital, some time later his condition was assessed as stable.
Eriksen’s case is not so rare in the world of football. In recent years, we have witnessed several falls of players during the match. In 2003, during a match of the Confederation Cup, 28-year-old Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé fainted on the pitch. It was impossible to save him. The cause of death was a heart attack, which was due to previously undetected hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
In 2007, during a match, 33-year-old Spaniard Antonio Puerta fell onto the pitch. The cause was also a heart attack. However, the player managed to get up on his own, with the help of a doctor, he went to the locker room, where he lost consciousness again. He died three days later in hospital from cardiac arrest. It was caused by hereditary arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.
In 2017, the former England representative Ugo Ehiogu died, at the time of the tragic event he was 44 years old. In 2004, the 25-year-old Hungarian footballer Miklos Feher fainted on the pitch. Despite resuscitation, it was not possible to save him, but the cause in this case was not a heart attack, but a cardiac arrhythmia.
- What are the symptoms of a heart attack? [WE EXPLAIN]
Not all cases ended tragically. In 2012, Fabrice Muamba had a heart attack during the FA Cup match. He was saved, but in many 24 years he had to end his career.
Heart attack – what are the causes?
A heart attack is an irreversible damage to a fragment of the heart muscle. It usually results from ischemia or sudden closure of an artery. A cardiovascular incident is the most serious consequence of atherosclerosis, which is a long-term process with varying degrees of intensity.
However, cardiologists have been alarming for years that a heart attack increasingly affects young people. Importantly, an infarction at a younger age has a more difficult course due to the lack of protection of the collateral circulation, thanks to which the ischemia is reduced.
- A heart attack attacks younger and younger people
– Heart diseases most often affect people who lead an unhygienic lifestyle and people who consume highly processed foods. A diet low in vegetables and fruit, and rich in low-quality fatty meat, canned food, and simple sugars is a short way to atherosclerosis. People who work intensively, often physically, who do not invest in good-quality food or do not have such an opportunity, smoke cigarettes and avoid physical activity constitute the largest group of patients with the most common cardiological incidents – said Dr. n. med. Marcin Grabowski, cardiologist,
What are the most common risk factors for a heart attack in young people?
- long-term stress and workaholism
- constant fatigue resulting from overwork
- lack of physical activity
- too intense effort
- all kinds of stimulants
- incorrect diet
- ignoring obvious disturbing symptoms
- unformed collateral circulation
Why do young athletes die of heart disease?
However, many of the above risk factors do not apply to conscious active athletes who are fitness conscious and regularly tested. But why do the cases described above occur?
There are several reasons for this. Here are a few of them:
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) – a genetic disease characterized by left ventricular hypertrophy – the walls of the heart muscle thicken. Thickened muscle can lead to a fast or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) which can lead to sudden death.
- Coronary artery abnormalities – Sometimes people are born with their coronary arteries improperly connected. These arteries then compress during exercise and fail to ensure proper blood flow to the heart muscle, leading to sudden death.
- undetected congenital heart defect.
It is also emphasized that elements related to competitive sports, such as adrenaline, changes in electrolytes or dehydration, increase the risk of cardiac arrest.
- Eriksen’s reanimation took forever. It could have ended in brain death
Research on young footballers – terrifying results
Three years ago, the results of ECG and ultrasound examinations of the heart of 11 thousand were analyzed. 168 English footballers from two decades for cardiomyopathy – cardiac abnormalities.
In 42 cases, heart diseases were detected that could cause death at any time – before the examination, none of the players showed any symptoms. 30 of these athletes underwent corrective or pharmacological treatment for a heart defect and were able to return to sports. In 12 cases, it was necessary to end a career.
However, not all irregularities could be detected. Research on the aforementioned Muamba revealed nothing suspicious.
Eight of the surveyed players died. Six were due to unidentified medical conditions, while two were diagnosed with HCM and were advised not to engage in competitive sports.
- First aid. How to give it? [WE EXPLAIN]
These results surprised cardiologists. Previously, it was estimated that the probability of sudden cardiac death was 2 in 100. Meanwhile, from the above-mentioned studies, it turned out that it is 7 cases out of 100.
“We must acknowledge that the mortality rate is higher than we thought, although the risk is still low” – assessed the data in 2018 by cardiologist Prof. Sanjay Sharma in an interview with the BBC. He also added that the English Football Association has introduced additional tests for players aged 18, 20 and 25.
He also noted that it could be easy for young players to accept. “It is very difficult for a young kid who has dreamed of being a footballer since he was a child, and since he was eight he did nothing but play football,” he added.
An example from Italy proves the importance of cardiological screening of young athletes. Since the introduction of such an obligation, 89 percent. there have been numerous sudden heart-related deaths.
- How do footballers deal with losing? A sports psychologist explains
«Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common inherited heart disease. Although cardiological screening among athletes can help detect the disease, we also emphasize the importance of everyone being fully aware of their family’s medical history, especially if a family member has died suddenly under the age of 50 »said British cardiologist Dr. Aneil Malhotra.
Also read:
- Symptoms of heart problems that we tend to downplay
- Instead of going to the hospital, women wait for it to pass
- The seven worst heart conditions in adults
The content of the medTvoiLokony website is intended to improve, not replace, the contact between the Website User and their doctor. The website is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Before following the specialist knowledge, in particular medical advice, contained on our Website, you must consult a doctor. The Administrator does not bear any consequences resulting from the use of information contained on the Website. Do you need a medical consultation or an e-prescription? Go to halodoctor.pl, where you will get online help – quickly, safely and without leaving your home.