“The reality is that myocarditis is relatively low on the list of conditions that can cause a young athlete’s heart to stop. A range of uncommon conditions are more likely to underlie these events, and they’re not new: Medical experts have been aware of those conditions and their links to sudden deaths in young people for at least 60 years.
It’s important to stress that these conditions aren’t common, and onlyone out of every 40,000 to 80,000 people die from them, though estimates vary. But when they do occur, having the right lifesaving equipment on hand can make all the difference between surviving — or not.”
…
“in hearts that are structurally abnormal, whether due to a condition someone was born with or due to heart damage caused by an illness, the strain exercise causes can sometimes be too much. Exercise strain can also overwhelm hearts that don’t reliably conduct the electrical impulses that drive a normal heartbeat.
In a small proportion of these cases, a really tough workout can cause the heart to stop beating altogether.”
…
“On the infrequent occasion that young athlete’s hearts stop, one of the more common causes in the US is a hereditary condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). In these cases, which account for about one-third of sudden deaths in athletes, according to some estimates, the muscular left ventricle of the heart — which pumps blood throughout the body — thickens more than it normally should. This makes it more likely to function abnormally when it’s stressed (as it is during sports activities).”
…
“Whatever the cause of an athlete’s sudden cardiac arrest, having a cardiac defibrillator handy — the machine with paddles that uses electric shocks to restart a stopped heart — is key to reducing their risk of dying from the event.”