Minneapolis researcher weighs in on NCAA heart deaths study

[Associated Press, April 04, 2011] The death of a Michigan teenage basketball player has renewed questions about what kind of heart checkup young athletes need to make the team, and a new study may influence that debate.

The recurring debate is over whether to add routine EKGs to young athletes' pre-sports checkups. The goal is to find those at risk because of underlying heart conditions before strenuous exertion triggers trouble.

Mandating EKGs, which can cost $25 to $100, for millions of U.S. high school and college athletes isn't practical, says Dr. Barry Maron of the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, who helped develop the AHA guidelines.