80% of Schools Tested by Wimbledon Health Partners Report Cardiovascular Abnormalities in Students
Findings support the need for preventative measures in schools to help minimize sudden cardiac death among young athletes
Boca Raton, FL (PRWEB) November 01, 2016
Wimbledon Health Partners, the industry leader in on-site diagnostic testing for athletic programs and physicians, reports finding cardiovascular abnormalities at 80% of schools where testing was performed during the months of August and September.
Wimbledon Athletics traveled to 56 schools in August and September, including high schools, college preparatory schools, junior colleges, and NAIA and NCAA colleges and universities, to test students for vascular conditions for which athletes are prone and for cardiac abnormalities that can cause sudden cardiac arrest.
Junior colleges tested during this period yielded some of the highest percentages of abnormalities identified in students, with schools in Georgia, Mississippi, California, and New Mexico each reporting significant findings in more than 10% of students tested—a much higher rate than current studies indicate. More than 6% of students tested were identified with abnormalities at each of several universities from coast to coast. At one Midwestern high school, one-quarter of the students tested were alerted to conditions that likely need follow up.
"The fact is that at almost all schools where we test, we detect something in a young athlete that requires follow up. Size and location of the school doesn't matter—we are finding abnormalities in students where only a small group is tested," states Misty Burke-Richman, Chief Sales Officer at Wimbledon Health Partners. "No one can predict when and where a cardiac event will happen, so the focus must be on being proactive about the safety of students by having them tested. And our findings support the need for preventative testing."
Wimbledon Health Partners continues to identify a significantly higher proportion of abnormalities through echocardiograms versus EKGs. Echocardiograms can detect conditions not found by an EKG, such as coronary artery anomalies, heart valve abnormalities, and some cardiomyopathies. EKGs are used to detect electrical abnormalities, including Wolff-Parkinson-White and Long QT syndromes.
About Wimbledon Health Partners:
Wimbledon Health Partners formed in 2013 to meet the need for on-site diagnostic testing at physicians' offices. The industry leader, Wimbledon Health Partners provides physicians with state-of-the-art, in-office testing to detect circulatory conditions and cardiac abnormalities using vascular ultrasound and echocardiography.
About Wimbledon Athletics:
Wimbledon Athletics, the athletic testing division of Wimbledon Health Partners, is pioneering the way for high schools, colleges, universities, and sports facilities to test students for vascular conditions and for unsuspected cardiac abnormalities to help minimize sudden cardiac death among young athletes.
For more information on how your office or school can partner with Wimbledon Health Partners, visit http://www.WimbledonHealthPartners.com or call us at (855) 200-8262.
For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/11/prweb13814795.htm
