ROGERS -- Hank Gathers was one of the best men's college basketball players in the country and likely headed for the NBA following graduation from Loyola Marymount, but the 23-year-old collapsed and died of sudden cardiac arrest while playing in 1990.
Dr. Phillip Riley administers physicals for Arkansas Razorback athletes, which now includes a screening process for heart issues.
Cardiomyopathy, or a thickening of the heart muscle, is what ultimately caused Gathers' death, and Riley has found that condition is more prevalent than previously thought.
Riley, a cardiologist at Mercy Hospital in Rogers, talked to area high school coaches about symptoms to be aware of regarding sudden cardiac arrest as part of the Mercy Sports Medicine Coaching Summit on Thursday at John Q. Hammons Convention Center.
"In fact, three out of every 1,000 kids has a cardiomyopathy that we've actually treated with medicines," Riley said. "I think that if we have a better understanding that kids are more at risk than we actually realized, we'll all keep our eyes open about what we need to do and watch out for."
That's why two area coaches wanted to hear what Riley had to say.
"It's a big deal," said Rob Bray, an assistant football coach at Rogers High and 25-year coaching veteran. "I teach it in my health classes, and I wanted to know the latest information and what's going on with it."
Julie Henderson, who also played soccer at John Brown University, is in her first year as the boys' and girls' soccer coach at Decatur. Henderson was also among the coaches who attended the session on cardiac arrest. She learned about the importance of having an AED or automated external defibrillator, too.
Riley pointed out things like chest discomfort, not a knifing chest pain, but a squeezing tightness during exercise is a big symptom of cardiac disease, he said.
Other things like palpitations or a heart beating abnormally, along with passing out or fainting during exertion can also be keys.
"If a student-athlete is doing everything completely normally, they're running and suddenly pass out and turn gray and pale in appearance, that's a problem," Riley said. "That's usually a heart rhythm abnormality."
He also stressed to immediately take their pulse. If there's no pulse, then the AED is needed to shock the heart back into rhythm. If a person has no pulse, 10 percent will have irreversible brain damage within the first minute, and that figure goes to 90 percent in the first six minutes, Riley said.
Studies show basketball players are at the highest risk of sudden cardiac death, followed by football, baseball and track and field, Riley said.
But he also shared a success story that came from screening the Razorback athletes.
A gymnast came up with an abnormal EKG, but they were able to diagnose the issue, and she underwent open heart surgery. She was also able to return to competition.
"That's a life saved within the first year of these screenings," Riley said. "That's why we're here."
Sports on 08/01/2018