heart attacks and sudden deaths among athletes

There is little likelihood that a young person in good physical shape suffer a heart attack. However, one can not say the same for the athletes. Four years ago, English football fans watched in horror Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba, 23, is suddenly collapsed due to a heart attack during a televised match against Tottenham Hotspur in London.

Luckily, the player was quickly treated by medical staff and one of the Tottenham fans: a consultant cardiologist who helped immediately taken to hospital. Muamba's heart was stopped for 78 minutes but still survived, though no longer plays football professionally.

Dr. Paul Chiam, a cardiologist at Mount Elizabeth Hospital and Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital , explains why young people have heart attacks and how they can avoid them .

1) What is the leading cause of death or heart failure in healthy young athletes?

The most common cause is sudden cardiac arrest, often due to ventricular fibrillation, ie, an abnormal and irregular heartbeat. The two main causes irregular heartbeats in the heart in young athletes are:

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart muscle.
Congenital abnormalities affecting the heart's electrical conduction, ie alter their normal pace.

2) Is there sex differences?

Yes, most sudden cardiac arrest occur in men.

3) Are rare cases?