April 4, 2011 — The sudden cardiac death rate for collegiate athletes is higher than many previous estimates and could influence screening guidelines for youths participating in organized sports, a new study suggests.
Each year, about one in 44,000 players in the National Collegiate Athletic Association has sudden cardiac death, the report says.
Study author Kimberly Harmon, MD, of the University of Washington in Seattle, says previous estimates of such deaths often have been based on inconsistent data sources, including media reports.
Tracking Deaths of Young Athletes
In the new study, data from the NCAA was used, along with news reports and insurance claims. It says about 400,000 students between age 17 and 23 participate in NCAA sports every year.
Harmon and her research team tracked deaths from 2004-2008, and report that:
•The total number of deaths from all causes was 273.
•68% of deaths, or the deaths of 187 athletes, were due to non-medical or traumatic causes.
•29%, or 80 athletes, died from medical causes.
•2%, or six young people, died from unknown causes.
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