Cardiac Screening in Young People

Studies examine heart screening in young people.
The Los Angeles Times (3/2, Stein) reports that "screening young athletes for heart abnormalities with an electrocardiogram test may be a cost-effective way to identify at-risk youth and save lives, according to a new study " published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Investigators "from the Stanford University School of Medicine examined sudden cardiac deaths among US high school and college athletes aged 14 to 22 and conducted a calculation to see what influence various types of screenings would have." The researchers "found that adding an ECG to two common screens already in place -- a physical and taking a health history of each athlete focusing on cardiovascular fitness -- could be expected to save about two years of life per 1,000 athletes at a cost of $89 per athlete."
The New York Times (3/2, D5, Bakalar) reports that "an editorial published with the study noted that among other problems, testing only athletes would probably be considered discriminatory, so any screening program would face the daunting challenge of giving EKGs to all 75 million children under 18."
The San Francisco Chronicle (3/2, Allday) reports that "regular screening raises some ethical questions." For instance, "some doctors argue that it might not be fair to test only athletes for heart problems, when all other students might benefit from screening." Additionally, there is the issue "of letting athletes and their families decide for themselves what an acceptable risk is before automatically disqualifying them from sports."