Heart Diseases and Athlete Heart Syndrome in Athletes

9 out of every 10 deaths in athletes occur during sports, and 85 percent of these deaths are caused by known or unknown heart diseases. According to statistics, 7 percent of deaths are in professional athletes; 22 percent occur in college students and 62 percent occur in high school students.

Athlete's heart syndrome causes symptoms such as enlargement of the heart, slow heart rate and heart murmur, and can lead to sudden death. According to statistics, most of the sudden deaths in young athletes occur among football players and basketball players. Deaths due to cardiovascular diseases are more common, especially in athletes who have diabetes, congenital heart disease or smoke. Increased adrenaline levels and the use of drugs that increase physical performance can cause plaques accumulated in the vessels to rupture, resulting in vascular occlusion.

It is essential for athletes to undergo a cardiological examination before heavy sports in order to take precautions against diseases caused by cardiovascular diseases. However, it is important to organize their lives according to the recommendations of the cardiovascular surgeon, depending on risk factors such as congenital heart disease, smoking, diabetes or blood pressure.