Borgess heart clinic tests young athletes

Young people are not expected to die of heart complications, but the March death of Fennville basketball star Wes Leonard has many local parents wondering if their children are susceptible.

Parents who brought their young athletes to limited heart screenings for student athletes in May and June got some peace of mind. Just over 200 athletes went through the screening — a 30 minute test for $10.

Additional follow-up to rule out possible heart concerns was recommended to seven of the 203 student athletes who attended the two screenings. This number is consistent with projected national norms, says Dr. Soundous Moualla, Medical Director, Borgess Heart Attack & Stroke Prevention Program.

Parents were cautioned that the screening could not rule out all heart disease factors, but it did offer more than a customary pre-sports exam.

A focused medical history questionnaire, blood pressure measurements, an electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG), a physician review and examination, and if needed a limited echocardiogram, were part of the screening. Preliminary test results were reported to each athlete and parent onsite and, if necessary, follow-up testing was recommended.

The screenings primarily were on the lookout for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a condition that causes most heart-related deaths among young athletes.

The screenings came about through the efforts of cardiologists Gilbert Olivares, of Borgess Heart Center for Excellence, and Bill LaPenna, of Borgess Cardiology Group, 15 Borgess heart professionals and a group of Borgess Volunteers.

“We offered a service that parents asked us to provide and the screenings were well-attended,” says Cyndi Kochevar, coordinator of the Borgess Heart Attack & Stroke Prevention Program.

Writer: Kathy Jennings
Source: Dr. Bill LaPenna, Borgess Health