What to know about sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in young athletes, but this reality probably never rang so true until the evening of Jan. 2. That is when millions of Americans witnessed 24-year-old Damar Hamlin, safety for the Buffalo Bills, collapse on live television after completing a tackle.
“There are a number of causes for sudden cardiac arrest in athletes who are 35 and younger,” said John P. Higgins, MD, MBA, MPhil, professor of cardiovascular medicine with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and sports cardiologist with the Houston Rockets. “Sometimes it can just be a normal heart at the wrong place and the wrong time.”