The reasons why young and healthy sportspeople fall over dead on sports grounds are manifold. Most of the time, the cause will be a pre-existing and hitherto undiagnosed heart condition, rarely will there be an actual acute heart attack or inflammatory process of the heart muscle or its lining as the actual cause of the cardiac arrest.
There have been 12 or so sudden cardiac deaths of soccer players in the last few years alone, the most recent instance of a sudden collapse in cardiac arrest being that of 23-yo Bolton Wanderers player Fabrice Muamba. Continue reading
