Cricketer Dies of a Heart Attack – Know if Heart Conditions are Common Among Athletes

A cricketer died of a heart attack while playing a local tournament in Maharashtra’s Pune district. Read on to know if athletes are more prone to sudden cardiac deaths.

By: Arushi Bidhuri | | Updated: February 18, 2021 4:00 pm

In a tragic accident, a cricketer died after suffering from a heart attack during a local tournament in Maharashtra’s Pune district. The incident took place in Junnar city, where the batsman collapsed suddenly after a heart attack. The video that surfaced showed that Babu Nalawade was at non-striker’s end when it happened. This is not the first time such an incident has happened; many athletes over the years have died of a cardiac arrest. A similar incident occurred in Odhisa’s Kendrapara. Also Read - Heart attack in men: Extreme exhaustion could be a warning sign, here's how to keep your heart safe

Are Athletes Prone To Heart Attacks?

Stories such as Nalawade shock us – an athlete in good physical condition suffering from a heart attack? According to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, cardiovascular diseases responsible for sudden unexpected death is majorly related to the age of the patient. Also Read - Not all good cholesterol is healthy, they can raise heart disease risk: Experts warn

Some studies suggest that sudden death in athletes who are 35 years or above suffer from coronary artery disease due to atherosclerosis. For athletes under 35 years of age, sudden death is majorly related to congenital or genetic heart conditions. In some cases, it could be due to infections or inflammatory disease. Another study in the Methodist Debakey Cardiovascular journal suggests that sudden cardiac death is the most common medical cause of death in athletes. Also Read - Best way to reduce your cholesterol: Combine medications with healthy lifestyle

Common Heart Conditions Among Athletes

Studies suggest that the cardiac conditions that may increase the risk of sudden death in young athletes include:

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

A disease in which the heart muscles becomes abnormally thick; which can make it harder for the heart to pump blood. This can cause shortness of breath, chest pain or problems in the heart electrical system, resulting in arrhythmia or sudden death.

Congenital Abnormalities Of The Coronary Arteries

The coronary anomalies may cause myocardial infarction, ischaemia or ventricular tachycardia. It is a rare but dangerous condition.

Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP)

In this condition, the flaps of the heart’s mitral valve bulge into the heart’s left upper chamber as the heart contracts. This sometimes leads to blood leaking into the left atrium. This condition is known as mitral valve regurgitation.

Myocarditis

This condition refers to an inflammation of the heart muscle that can affect your heart muscle and your heart’s electrical system, which may decrease your heart’s ability to pump and lead to rapid or abnormal heart rhythms.

Marfan Syndrome

It is an inherited condition that affects the heart and causes enlargement of the aorta ( the vessel that carries blood from the heart to different parts of the body).

Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC)

It is a type of cardiomyopathy that affects the lower pumping chambers (ventricles) of the heart and can cause abnormal heart rhythms, a condition known as arrhythmia.