UCC Students Getting to the Heart of It | Tommie Grant

Over 100 of University College Cork’s top athletes will be undergoing potentially lifesaving cardiac screening on Dec 6th & 12th. The University’s Clubs Executive – the joint student and staff body – funded cardiac screening for all students on a sports scholarship. While there is a great awareness of SAD'S itself there is no current campaign which highlights how to prevent or diagnose the problem before it is too late. It is hoped that by carrying out these screenings it may encourage other students to do likewise and seek to have a cardiac screening on their own initiative.Proof that these programs have been effective may be drawn from overseas. For example in Italy, where anyone who plays organised sport has to get cardiac screening done, SADS deaths have reduced by 89% over the last 25 years. These figures conclusively show that this screening program is a worthwhile initiative, which may save the life of a fellow student.The scheme was brought in last year following a study conducted by UCC’s Department of Rheumatology, Sports and Exercise Medicine which highlighted the role cardiac screening can play in reducing rates of sudden cardiac death among athletes. Brian Phelan, the Clubs Executive President, explained how important it was to continue this project. He noted that the long list of seemingly-healthy, young athletes who have suffered heart attacks in recent years, serves as a reminder that anyone may be affected by heart problems.Fabrice Muamba’s story is a recent high-profile example. The Bolton Wanderers midfielder suffered a near-fatal heart attack during the first half of an FA cup tie in early 2012. While his subsequent recovery transformed the 24 year old into a public symbol of hope, his case is a chilling reminder that heart defects may go unnoticed, even in professional footballers without regular health checks.The screening will be carried out by the UCC Student Health centre, which has recently acquired the equipment to carry out the testing. Dr Michael Byrne explains that each participant is required to fill out a personal and family history questionnaire, to undergo a physical examination and an electrocardiogram.  The participant’s medical data and ECG will be reviewed and reported by a consultant cardiologist. The test is painless and only takes about twenty minutes.Here in UCC, we have over 20,000 students, at least 5,500 of these engage in sport & physical activity within the university on a weekly basis, while many more partake in sport with their own local sports clubs’. Considering these vast numbers participating in sporting activity, it seems that some service is required to ensure the health of students. This programme is currently running exclusively for scholarship athletes. The long term plan however, is to open out the service to the whole student population. A series of talks are planned for the coming days and weeks with serious sporting and health related issues set to be covered including a focus on cardiac deaths.