Toshiba partners with leading institutions to conduct Athlete Heart Research Study

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the leading cause of death in high school-aged athletes. To determine if SCD can be prevented with a heart screening, The Christ Hospital Health Network (Cincinnati, Ohio), The University of Mississippi Medical Center and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center partnered with USRowing and Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. to conduct The Athlete Heart Research Study. Initial participants included volunteer high school rowers with more than two years of continuous practice who competed in the USRowing Youth National Championships, June 7 - 9, 2013 in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

“While current recommendations only include a physical exam, we hope to identify what changes are considered normal for athletic hearts, versus the true presence of heart abnormalities, which may be the cause of SCD.”

"SCD affects one to two out of every 100,000 young adults, and high school athletes participating in a vigorous sport have a two to three times-greater risk," says primary investigator Santosh Menon, M.D., cardiologist, The Christ Hospital Health Network. "While current recommendations only include a physical exam, we hope to identify what changes are considered normal for athletic hearts, versus the true presence of heart abnormalities, which may be the cause of SCD."

Toshiba's Aplio™ 500 CV was used to conduct heart tests on rowers using electrocardiogram (EKG) and echocardiogram (echo) screenings. With Toshiba's 2D Wall Motion Tracking technology, the Aplio 500 CV provides stunning visualization and quantitative analysis of myocardial wall motion with unrivaled accuracy and reproducibility for earlier diagnosis.

"Toshiba is committed to partnering with leading institutions to assist in identifying disease before it is too late," said Tomohiro Hasegawa, director, Ultrasound Business Unit, Toshiba. "SCD is a serious risk for high school athletes, and the Aplio 500 CV can help in researching the cause of this devastating condition."