Irish Examiner-Feelgood
Friday 20 January 2012
UCC athletes get to the heart of matter
About 100 of University College Cork’s top athletes have just undergone cardiac screening this month. The university’s Clubs Executive – the joint student and staff body – funded cardiac screening for all students on a sports scholarship.
The decision follows 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.
The screening was carried out by Heartaid, which provides mobile cardiac screening to those involved in sport. Each participant was 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.