Fans of football experienced "terrifying" moments when Danish star Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch after suffering a cardiac arrest. What causes highly fit athletes to endure such incidents? Eriksen fell unconscious in the 40th minute of his country's match against Finland in the European Championship, without any interaction from other players. A medical team intervened, provided cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and saved him from death. Football fans breathed a sigh of relief after Eriksen's health condition was declared "stable," yet they couldn't help but recall dark moments in football where stars suddenly passed away.
Among the most notable recent incidents was the case of Italian defender Davide Astori, whose death at the age of 31 was announced by Fiorentina three years ago. Prior to that, Cameroonian star Marc-Vivien Foé passed away during his national team's match in the 2003 Confederations Cup. The numerous deaths of athletes or their survival after emergency medical intervention illustrate that the physical fitness of athletes does not grant them immunity against sudden cardiac arrest.
Medical experts say that sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death among athletes early in their careers. There are typically no warning signs, and players collapse during practice or matches in most cases.
What is cardiac arrest? Sudden cardiac arrest is the complete and sudden loss of heart function and oxygen pump, leading to loss of consciousness. This condition usually results from a disturbance in the heart's electrical system, where pumping ceases and blood flow to the body stops.
Cardiac arrest differs from a heart attack, which involves a blockage in blood flow to a part of the heart muscle. However, a heart attack can sometimes lead to a disruption in the heart's electrical system, potentially causing sudden cardiac arrest. Exercise can occasionally trigger this situation.
Why do athletes experience cardiac arrest? Structural or electrical abnormalities may cause sudden cardiac arrest in athletes. These abnormalities can be inherited or undiagnosed. For athletes with underlying heart conditions, physical exertion may act as a trigger. In some sports, a severe blow to the chest can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.
Aml Louis, an interventional cardiologist, states, "Currently, cardiac arrests are affecting people who are physically fit and lead a healthy and active lifestyle due to extreme physical exertion," according to Gulf News. She adds, "If the heart has a certain capacity for exertion, and the athlete continuously puts it under strain, the chance of thickening of the heart muscle increases."
According to the Sports Institute at the University of Washington in Seattle, 1 or 2 in every 100,000 active athletes experience sudden cardiac arrest each year. The institute notes that males are at a higher risk than females.
How can it be avoided? So far, there is no completely reliable method to predict heart problems in athletes. All high-performance athletes are continuously evaluated. In the case of professional football players like Eriksen, clubs conduct advanced medical assessments and monitor players' fitness regularly.
Since medical evaluations may not help uncover underlying health issues, some experts insist on performing electrocardiograms to detect heart abnormalities that may increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest.
