Black Athletes Are Significantly More Likely Than White Peers to Experience Cardiac Arrest

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.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

Meta Sued for Discriminatory For-Profit College Marketing Targeted at Black Social Media Users

"This lawsuit aims to make it clear that no corporation — not even a Big Tech company as powerful as Meta—should be allowed to profit from the discriminatory treatment of Black students and consumers," said Damon T. Hewitt, president of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

In Memoriam: Jerry Washington Ward, Jr., 1943-2025

Dr. Ward taught English at Tougaloo College in Mississippi for over three decades. He then served a a distinguished professor at Dillard University in New Orleans for 10 years before his retirement in 2012.

The Education Department Takes Aim at Colleges’ Diversity and Inclusion Programs

The acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the United States Department of Education, warned colleges and universities that they risked losing federal funding if they continued to use race as a factor in a wide range of programs.

Black Americans Represent Just 5 Percent of All Top Staff in the New U.S. Congress

While Black Americans represent nearly 14 percent of the total U.S. population, they represent just 5.5 percent of all top staff positions in the personal offices of U.S. House members and senators.

Featured Jobs