Wimbledon Health Partners Announces Significant Abnormal Findings in Athletes through Cardiac Diagnostic Testing
Boca Raton, Florida (PRWEB) October 23, 2015 -- Wimbledon Health Partners, the industry leader in on-site diagnostic testing for physicians and athletic programs, has found a number of cardiac abnormalities in young athletes at high schools, colleges and universities where testing has been conducted through Wimbledon Athletics.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle, is the most dangerous abnormality and leading cause of sudden cardiac arrest in athletes. Several students tested have been diagnosed with this potential killer through EKGs and echocardiograms performed by Wimbledon staff. Many times, people affected by this disease show no symptoms, which supports the need for early testing to help keep young athletes alive.
Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW), an electrical abnormality where impulses travel through a bypass route, has shown up in recent student EKGs. It can cause palpitations, lightheadedness and fainting, but even if it is asymptomatic, having the condition is a risk factor for sudden cardiac death. There are documented cases of children as young as eleven dying from this condition. These findings are significant because WPW can be cured through simple ablation of the secondary route with no physical restrictions thereafter. Wimbledon’s diagnostic testing has also discovered several cases of bi-leaflet aortic valve, a common congenital cardiac abnormality that is not life-threatening but needs to be watched closely. Students identified with this condition have the ability to alter their physical activities—for example, eliminating weight lifting as part of their physical curriculum.
“In addition to detecting conditions that may be lethal on the playing field, we are identifying abnormalities that, while not imminently life-threatening, still have consequences for the individuals later in life,” says Dr. Brad Artel, M.D., F.A.C.C., Chief Medical Officer at Wimbledon Health Partners. “By bringing an awareness of these disorders very early in their course, we may be preventing tragedies far down the road as well as in the present.”
Testing young athletes between the ages of 13-25 simply has not been done before. According to Dr. Artel, young adults in this age group usually are tested only when a problem arises. With Wimbledon Athletics, schools now have the power to proactively screen their students and take the necessary course of action before an undetected heart condition can claim the life of another young athlete.
About Wimbledon Health Partners:
Wimbledon Health Partners formed in 2013 to meet the need for on-site diagnostic testing at physicians’ offices. The industry leader, Wimbledon Health Partners provides physicians with state-of-the-art, in-office testing to detect circulatory conditions using vascular ultrasound and electro- and echocardiography. Nerve conduction velocity testing is also used to support diagnosis of problems related to the nervous and muscular systems.
About Wimbledon Athletics:
Wimbledon Athletics, the newest division of Wimbledon Health Partners, is pioneering the way for high schools, colleges and universities to test students for unsuspected heart abnormalities to help minimize sudden cardiac death among young athletes.
For more information on how your office or school can partner with Wimbledon, visit us at http://www.dxtesting.com or call us at (855) 200-8262.
Cynda Perun, Wimbledon Health Partners, http://www.dxtesting.com, +1 855-200-8262, [email protected]
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