NORFOLK, Va. — This summer more than 100 Old Dominion University student athletes are undergoing free cardiac screenings to identify any potential heart-related health risks.
"Athletes are a patient population that really have been, I don't want to say ignored, but perhaps underserved," said Dr. George Sarris, a cardiology specialist with Sentara Healthcare.
According to the CDC, 66 athletes die suddenly of a cardiac issue every year in the United States. And just this month, LeBron James' son, Bronny James, made national headlines after suffering cardiac arrest while practicing.
Something that took the world, and ODU basketball player Leeroy Odiahi, by surprise.
"When I saw that it definitely took me by surprise because Bronny James is someone who I assume takes his health pretty seriously," he said.
Scripps News
LeBron James' son Bronny James has cardiac arrest during practice
But Dr. Sarris says unfortunately this is not as uncommon as you'd think.
"In the past, we really didn't think these events occurred as frequently as they do," he explained.
So, in partnership between ODU and Sentara, Dr. Sarris offers free cardiac screenings for athletes.
The exam lasts just about 15 minutes and during that time, ultrasound technicians and doctors are looking for any heart abnormalities or structural issues.
"We do imaging and we look for certain electric characteristics that might give us a clear someone is at risk," explained Dr. Sarris. "It's the things that you're born with that we're trying to identify."
After years of offering these EKGs and ultrasounds, Dr. Sarris has been able to identify potential health risks in several students, allowing them to make better decisions about their own health.
"We've identified some congenital anomalies, nothing that has precluded [the athlete] from participating, but something that needs to be followed over time," he said.
And now Leeroy, who has big dreams of one day playing in the NBA, is taking his heart health more seriously.
"Health is so important, it's more important than people think," he said. "After seeing what happened with Bronny James, maybe if he got this test before, they would have seen something coming."
