Be A Good Sport, Guard Your Heart

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Pay Attention to Your Heart

Both Hoiberg and Sarita Stevens are now publicly urging all men—even the most physically fit athletes—to be more aware of their hearts. In July 2007, Hoiberg played in his first basketball game since his surgery two years ago. Proceeds from the benefit game—held at Iowa State—went to the Barry W. Stevens Education and Health Foundation, the American Heart Association, and the Barry W. Stevens Memorial Trust Fund.
           
“I’m sure athletes are not aware of their hearts when they’re out there playing,” says Hoiberg. “I never was. And it took this heart issue that I had to kind of wake me up and let me know I’m not invincible. I feel very fortunate to be alive right now. As athletes we tend to have that feeling of invincibility, but it can happen to anyone.”
           
Steve Ommen, M.D., a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, sees athletes who are reluctant to report any heart symptoms, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or rapid or irregular heartbeats, to their physicians.
           
“The more athletic they are—especially if they have issues like scholarships on the line—admitting that there is any potential weakness actually has a negative impact on their goals,” he says.
           
“If you’re a young person, male or female, who has been exercising your whole life, you appreciate that part of your training is pushing yourself short of breath. There are clearly individuals who have a catastrophic event—like a sudden death—who probably did not have any warning.”
           
Many athletes live by the “no pain, no gain” motto, Ommen says. They’re trained to ignore minor physical discomfort.
           
According to Ommen, physically fit men may experience only modest symptoms, if any. Stevens only noticed more fatigue in the final month of his life, according to his widow. Hoiberg had no symptoms.
           
But there could be other warning signs, such as a family history of heart disease. Ommen advises all men, including athletes, who might have reason for concern to contact their physicians for an initial consultation about their family history, past medical history, and any recurring symptoms. They should talk to their doctors before asking for more expensive heart scans, a growing trend among high-profile athletes.
           
“As a physician, if I’m seeing someone describing a definite change in exercise tolerance or capacity—someone who’s fainting or has symptoms related to his chest—he should be a candidate for more advanced testing,” he says.
           
Hoiberg was one of those candidates, and the ECG saved his life. He now has a pacemaker that reminds him of his heart regularly. And he tells other athletes to be more heart-conscious, too.
           
“You may feel 100 percent and just fine, but if you have heart disease in your family, you need to get checked,” he says.

How to Find a Hidden Killer
Sudden cardiac death afflicts about 1 out of 500 people and doesn’t discriminate between genders, says Ommen. Since many of the symptoms are subtle, particularly in physically fit people, it’s difficult to diagnose. Ommen offers the following tips:

• Anyone with a family history of heart disease who is starting a new fitness routine, or ramping up the intensity, should first talk to his or her doctor. Provide the physician with a careful family history, including whether there have been early unexplained or sudden deaths. Be sure to describe any symptoms, such as fainting episodes, blackout spells, or chest discomfort. “The most important thing is to begin a dialogue,” Ommen says.
• Ask your doctor about a heart ultrasound (echocardiogram). It isn’t for everyone, but the noninvasive technique helps doctors evaluate the heart. For more information on echocardiograms, visit SeeMyHeart.org.