The Christ Hospital Health Network (Cincinnati, USA), the University of Mississippi Medical Center and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center have partnered with USRowing and Toshiba to conduct The Athlete Heart Research Study, which aims to determine if sudden cardiac death can be prevented with a heart screening. Initial participants included volunteer high school rowers with more than two years of continuous practice who competed in the USRowing Youth National Championships, 7–9 June 2013 in Oak Ridge, USA.
“Sudden cardiac death affects one to two out of every 100,000 young adults, and high school athletes, participating in a vigorous sport, have a two to three times-greater risk,” said primary investigator Santosh Menon, cardiologist, The Christ Hospital Health Network. “While current recommendations only include a physical exam, we hope to identify what changes are considered normal for athletic hearts, versus the true presence of heart abnormalities, which may be the cause of sudden cardiac death.”
Toshiba’s Aplio 500 CV was used to conduct heart tests on rowers using ECG and echocardiogram (echo) screenings. With Toshiba’s 2D Wall Motion Tracking technology, the Aplio 500 CV, according to a company release, provides great visualisation and quantitative analysis of myocardial wall motion with accuracy and reproducibility for earlier diagnosis.
“Toshiba is committed to partnering with leading institutions to assist in identifying disease before it is too late,” said Tomohiro Hasegawa, director, Ultrasound Business Unit, Toshiba. “Sudden cardiac death is a serious risk for high school athletes, and the Aplio 500 CV can help in researching the cause of this devastating condition.”
