Saving Teens' Lives with $89

Stanford study looks at students' hearts

It is always stunning to hear that a young athlete has died on the practice or playing field, but it happens more often than you may think.

Researchers at Stanford wanted to see if there are ways to detect the problem and screen young athletes between the ages of 14 and 22 years old who might be at risk under heavy physical exertion.

They found that a simple electrocardiogram, or EKG, might be the best way to go. EKGs are fairly common, easy to administer and might cost around 90 bucks per student athlete.

They may not catch all heart conditions, but Stanford researchers say the test could save the lives of as many as two in 1,000 athletes.

Considering the hundreds of thousands of young student athletes, that could add up to a lot of young people protected over the years.

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