Sitting Back Watching Life Pass!

Sitting Back as Life Goes By!

There has been a lot of press over the last month about the sudden death of Gaines Adams, Chicago Bear Linebacker and Jeron Lewis of the Southern Indiana basketball team — both public deaths and both deaths from an enlarged heart; a cardiac arrhythmia known as Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM).  Also, both heart conditions went undetected until their first symptom: DEATH. 

It is extremely sad and frustrating that someone has to die, “UNPREDICTABLY”, in order for people to become aware and begin to realize that there is a serious problem in this country when our young population is dying at a rate of 20 per day/ 7,000 per year between the ages of 6 and 18.  Fortunately the public deaths, such as the ones mentioned above, are being reported.  There are approximately 300 to 400 deaths that occur in the public eye each year.  That tells you that 6,600 other young people are dying without notice, except to their families, friends and community who are left standing alone to cope with the loss, grief and the questions.

Another unfortunate circumstance is when these deaths do get reported, they get reported as “rare” instances.  I don’t think that 7,000 young people dying at a rate of 20/ day is rare.  The numbers I use here are not my numbers.  They are numbers given by the Heart Rhythm Society.

When a public death is reported, there begins the debate about preventive heart screening through the use of an electrocardiogram (EKG).  The public is being told that The American Heart Association does not endorse screening.  That preventive heart screening is not cost-effective, and a whole host of other excuses not to screen.  So the only option left is to dismiss even the idea and just let our children die?  I don’t think so.

First, I need to clarify a SERIOUS misperception:

The American Heart Association does endorse “Preventive Heart Screening”, I draw your attention to “Recommendations and Considerations Related to Preparticipation Screening for Cardiovascular Abnormalities in Competitive Athletes: 2007 Update ……” please see “Circulation – March 2007 page 1652, second column, “Conclusions” 17 lines down, seven words in, “On the other hand, the panel does not arbitrarily oppose volunteer-based athlete screening programs with noninvasive testing performed selectively on a smaller scale in local communities if well designed and prudently implemented.”  This position is also supported by the American College of Cardiology and Heart Rhythm Society.    

We at the Cardiac Arrhythmia Syndromes Foundation (www.SafeBeat.org) (a 501 (c) (3) not for profit) are saddened that this misperception continues to perpetuate itself.  We are also tired of hearing a cost-effective and utilization-of-resource argument to dismiss out of hand the value of proactive prevention.

Imagine, even after so many deaths, and one is too many, we continue to read negativity when it comes to preventive heart screening.  Our program, known as “SafeBeat”,  is a program that is voluntary, opt-in and free.  Where is the argument there?  We are doing something to save our youth.

EKG screening can, and does, save lives!  So I have to ask, why are people so comfortable sitting back and using a cost-effective argument while our youth are dying?  What is a child’s life worth?  Ask me; ask the thousands of other parents who have lost a child.