Professional footballers could be "more at risk of heart attack" than previously feared



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Fear of attack

Health experts say that a screening program set up to eliminate potential heart problems is not foolproof, but the number of serious incidents was "higher than expected"

The researchers warn that professional footballers are much more likely to suffer a heart attack.

A seven-year study of 595 players in Norway revealed that six had developed a serious heart problem.

Leyton Orient footballer Andy Scott had to quit football after a similar complaint to Marc Vivien Foe

Simon O'Connor

Leyton Orient footballer Andy Scott had to quit football after a similar complaint to Marc Vivien Foe

But a screening program found no problem.

Dr. Hilde Moseby Berge, of the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences in Oslo, said: "The number of serious incidents was remarkably higher than expected in this young population.

"We have no explanation for this – it could just represent a random effect due to a small number."

But it follows a British study earlier this year that identified a similar phenomenon among the best footballers.

A seven-year study of nearly 600 football players in Norway revealed that six had developed a serious heart problem

Getty – Contributor

A seven-year study of nearly 600 football players in Norway revealed that six had developed a serious heart problem

The link between footballers and cardiac arrests is the focus of increasing attention in recent years

Getty – Contributor

The link between footballers and cardiac arrests is the focus of increasing attention in recent years

Premier League clubs already carry out regular checks of their players, but they are much less common in the football league and below.

The connection between footballers and cardiac arrests has been increasingly studied in recent years, following the deaths of Marc Vivien Foe, Junior Dian and Danny Wilkinson – as well as the collapse of Fabrice Muamba in 2012.

Corresponding author Dr. Berge stated, "Complete pre-participation cardiac screening – including ECG and echocardiography – performed by experienced cardiologists, did not identify a subset of 6 out of 595 players who have had cardiovascular events.

"The players ignored the symptoms and received delayed medical badistance.

Marc Vivien Foe died in 2003 after collapsing in the 73rd minute of the semi-final of the Confederations Cup between Cameroon and Colombia.

Getty – Contributor

Marc Vivien Foe died in 2003 after collapsing in the 73rd minute of the semi-final of the Confederations Cup between Cameroon and Colombia.

"It is important to remind athletes that a normal screening test does not protect against all heart disease and that it is essential to report the symptoms in time."

UEFA and FIFA have made health checks mandatory.

But they do not always treat problems, no matter how complex they are, reports the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

In August, a study of more than 11,000 players over a 10-year period, aged 16 to 17, conducted by the University of St George's in London, revealed that eight people died during the fiscal year .

The Norwegian figures follow a British study published earlier this year, which showed a similar phenomenon among the best footballers.

News Group Newspapers Ltd

The Norwegian figures follow a British study published earlier this year, which showed a similar phenomenon among the best footballers


It has been found that the probability of sudden cardiac death in footballers is one in 14,700 per year, at least three times more than the previous estimate.

Of the 42 players identified as having heart problems during screening, 31 were able to resume football after corrective action or risk stratification.

Chris Kamara, emotional, talks about the tragic weekend for football that followed the Leicester plane crash and Glenn Hoddle's heart attack



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