FREE Heart Screening for Teens - Aug 6, 2022

SCREENED HEART CONDITIONS:  Below is a brief description of the heart conditions we screen for, representing some of the more common causes of why young adults might die suddenly.

♥ HYPERTROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY:  This is a problem of the heart muscle where the bottom chambers (or ventricles) are too thick.  The risk of this condition has been reported to be as frequent as 1 in 500 individuals.

♥ DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY:  This is a problem where the heart muscle is too large and does not squeeze as it is supposed to.  The risk of this condition is estimated to be 1 in 2,000 individuals.

♥ AORTIC ROOT ANEURYSM:  This is a problem of an abnormal enlargement of the main artery that arises from the heart and is responsible for delivering oxygenated blood to the body.  The risk of this condition is estimated to be 1 in 10,000 individuals. A screen for this heart condition is only performed if an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) was performed.

♥ LONG QT SYNDROME:  This is a problem of the electricity of the heart that is caused by an issue with how the heart muscle handles essential elements like sodium and potassium.  Children with this condition can suddenly develop unstable heart rhythms.  The risk is as high as 1 in 5,000 individuals.

♥ WOLFF-PARKINSON-WHITE (WPW) SYNDROME:  This is a problem of the electricity of the heart that is caused by an abnormal connection between the top and bottom pumping chambers.  This condition can cause very fast heartbeats and rarely an unstable heart rhythm.  The risk of this condition has been reported to be as frequent as 1 in 1,500 individuals. 

♥ Additional Conditions Based Upon International Criteria: In 2017, experts in the areas of cardiology and sports medicine from around the world identified features on a screening electrocardiogram that they felt potentially increased the risk of a sudden cardiac event in athletes. Some of those features are found in the conditions noted above and are well established as significant issues. Others, such as arrhythmias of the top (atrial) or bottom (ventricular) of the heart may be associated with risk (or may be of no significant concern). Formal evaluation by a cardiologist is needed to make this determination.

SCREENING PROCESS ♥ A parental waiver must be signed in order for your teen to receive a heart screening. ♥ Teens should wear loose fitting clothing. ♥ Screening includes an electrocardiogram (ECG) and if needed a limited 2-D echocardiogram (ECHO). ♥ Cardiologist will be onsite, so results will be immediate. ♥ The screening process typically takes approximately 20 minutes per student. NOTE: AVERAGE WAIT TIME VARIES. ♥ Screenings are offered at no charge. For those choosing to make an optional donation, $25 offsets the cost to screen one student.

FOUNDATION INFORMATION ♥ The mission of AugustHeart is to provide free heart screenings to teenagers to identify selected heart abnormalities in an effort to reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death. Contact info: 210-267-2771 or email at info@augustheart.org