Join us at Heart Rhythm 2025 for the discussion of this study. Between July 2014 and June 2023, researchers tracked 641 sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) incidents in U.S. athletes aged 11–29. Overall survival was 49%, rising to 57% during exercise, and reaching 70% in game/competition settings compared to 53% during practice. Survival rates improved significantly over the nine years, yet notable racial disparities persisted: Black athletes were 37% less likely, and athletes of other non-White races 31% less likely, to survive exertional SCAs than White athletes. The authors emphasize that while improvements in emergency preparedness (CPR/AED access) likely contributed to better outcomes, targeted efforts are needed to address equity and bolster response during practices and in under-resourced communities.

• Examine Sudden Cardiac Arrest in young competitive athletes from the United States.
• Compare young competitive athletes from the US to other spercial populations in terms of Sudden Cardiac arrest.

Article Authors

Bradley J. Petek MD, Timothy W. Churchill MD, Nathaniel Moulson MD, Randi Delong MPH, Mary Catherine Minnig PhD, Stephanie A. Kliethermes PhD, Aaron L. Baggish MD, Joseph J. Maleszewski MD,Kristen L. Kucera PhD, MSPH, LAT, ATC, Kimberly G. Harmon MD, Jonathan A. Drezner MD

Podcast Contributors

Melissa E. Middeldorp, MPH, PhD, University of Adelaide
Eugene H. Chung, MD, MPH, MSci, FHRS, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School 
Rachel Lampert, MD, FHRS, Yale University School of Medicine

All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.

Host Disclosure(s):

M. Middeldorp:
Nothing to disclose.

​Contributor Disclosure(s):

E. Chung:
Nothing to disclose.

R. Lampert:
Nothing to disclose.
 

Staff Disclosure(s) (note: HRS staff are NOT in control of educational content. Disclosures are provided solely for full transparency to the learner):
S. Sailor: No relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
S. Colbert: No relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.