What We Catch

Most symptoms of vascular conditions are likely to be brushed off, ignored completely, or never reported by student athletes because they don’t realize it might be something serious.

PREVENTATIVE TESTING

We test for any abnormalities that can result in a cardiac episode such as:

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
Myocarditis
Arrhythmia
Long QT Syndrome
Blood Clots
Pulmonary Embolisms
Undetected Congenital Birth Defects
Heart Disease

SOME OF THE THINGS WE TEST FOR

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of sudden cardiac arrest and death to student athletes. It’s a disease where the heart muscle becomes abnormally large and thick. It’s congenital and can be prevented.

Myocarditis is a serious condition where inflammation develops in the myocardium, or middle muscular layer of the heart wall. Myocarditis can weaken the heart and its electrical system. As a result, the heart’s ability to pump blood declines.

An Arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, is a problem with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat. Your heart may beat too quickly, too slowly, or with an irregular rhythm.

Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) is a heart signaling disorder that can cause fast, chaotic heartbeats (Arrhythmia). Some people are born with altered DNA that causes Long QT Syndrome (Congenital Long QT Syndrome).

Blood Clots or Thrombus, is blood coagulation causing hemostasis.

A Pulmonary Embolism is a sudden blockage in your pulmonary arteries, the blood vessels that send blood to your lungs. It usually happens when a blood clot in the deep veins in your leg breaks off and travels to your lungs.

Risk factors common to athletes make them susceptible to vascular conditions

BLOOD CLOTS

Some of the conditions that can put an athlete at an increased risk for a blood clot, DVT or PE:

Pulse Athletic Testing performs a non-invasive full vascular ultrasound to look for vascular conditions that are more common in athletes than non-athletes.

We check the carotid arteries, abdominal aorta and the arteries and veins of the lower extremities.

Undiagnosed blood clots can break free and travel to the lungs, which can lead to potentially life-threatening pulmonary embolisms.

Damage to blood vessels can occur due to trauma during physical activity.

Interrupted or inadequate blood flow to the digestive system is a phenomenon that can occur in athletes known as mesenteric ischemia.