How can clubs prepare for a sudden heart attack in a young athlete?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-08-13 04:00

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Sporting organisations for athletes as young as 11 should have people and equipment ready to respond to a sudden heart attack, according to US research investigating the causes of sudden heart attacks and deaths in young athletes, and the way bystander CPR and on-site defibrillators have helped athletes survive. The researchers identified 742 young athletes who had a sudden heart attack in their teens or 20s from 2002-2023, 315 of whom survived. They say a clear cause of the heart attack was present for 76.4% of the sudden deaths and 40.6% of those who survived, with 28.4% of heart attacks attributed to a type of underlying heart disease called a cardiomyopathy. The researchers say these heart attacks occurred in a range of settings, including training, school, in-game or after exercise, and athletes were more likely to survive if a bystander performed CPR or an on-site defibrillator was used. The researchers say availability of defibrillators and widespread CPR training for people involved in youth sports is critical for improving survival when a sudden heart attack occurs.