Cardiologist Recommends Heart Checks For Sportsmen

A Cardiologist at the National Hospital Abuja, Dr Oladipupo Fasan has stressed the need for athletes to undergo general physical check-ups to detect signs of heart-related ailments.

Fasan said in an interview with newsmen in Abuja that the measure was necessary so as to guard against sudden death often recorded in the field of sports.

“It is important that every athlete should undergo a general physical check; this is good because there have been instances where athletes have died suddenly because they have had undetected baseline heart problems.

“The problems could have been congenital or acquired, but they weren’t aware and they went ahead and started exercising and doing sports.”

According to the cardiologist, a heart condition in which the blood supply to the muscles of the heart is affected could develop into more serious and fatal conditions.

Fasan said that while exercising, an athlete who had an inherited congenital heart disorder might experience an obstruction in the outflow of blood to the heart, thereby causing seizures and likely fatality if not responded to quickly.

“When this happens, blood fails to go to the brain as well as other parts of the body and the person might start feeling arrhythmic in which there is an irregular beat in the heartbeat.”

The cardiologist said that individuals should not be aware of their heartbeats because being aware meant that there was an abnormality.

He said that this could be seen as palpitations and harped on the need for Nigerians to cultivate the habit of going for regular check-ups at least once a year, even when they looked healthy.