A new study published in The Lancet has uncovered significant racial disparities in the rates of sudden cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac deaths (SCA/D) among young athletes.
After reviewing 30 years of data from both national and international studies, the authors found that Black athletes are nearly five times more likely to experience SCA/D than White athletes. According to the research team, these racial disparities “exist without explanation.”
The authors theorize the high rate of SCA/D among Black athletes could be a result of the underlying social determinants of health that persist in Black communities. They believe future research in this area must include an analysis of the socioeconomic and environmental stressors facing athletes from different backgrounds.
To mitigate athletes’ experiences with SCA/D, the researchers stress the importance of creating effective pre-participation evaluations that include discussions of family history and physical examinations, developing emergency action plans, and improving access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
The study was led by researchers at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, in partnership with scholars from the University of Sydney in Australia, the University of Washington, the University of London, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and several hospitals from around the world.
