HEARTS™ , or Houston Early Age Risk Testing and Screening, is a study and program designed to detect abnormal heart conditions in children that can cause the heart to arrest.
HEARTS™ study goals:
(1) To develop an efficient and economical program whereby sixth grade students receive a 15-minute cardiovascular (heart) screening to include:
A self-administered questionnaire
Cardiovascular physical exam
EKG or Electrocardiogram (electrical tracing of the heart)
Echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart)
(2) To determine the accuracy of this screening in detecting heart problems in children.
Reducing your risk.
Sudden Cardiac Death often occurs in active, seemingly healthy people with no known heart disease or other health problems. The surprising truth is that it is not a random event and most victims are living with an undiagnosed heart problem. Fortunately, lives can be saved with early detection.
About the Team
The HEARTS™ physician team is comprised of physicians who are faculty at UTHealth and who are experienced in the detection and treatment of heart diseases in children and adults. Currently the physician team provides medical care for athletes in the National Basketball Association (NBA) pre-draft, Houston Rockets, Rice University, and other high-school students through their affiliation with the Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute.
Why HEARTS™?
Approximately one out of every 100 children has an undiagnosed heart condition.
Medical histories and physicals are not sufficient to detect these conditions.
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) occurs in approximately one out of 100,000 students each year.
In Texas, there have been 63 SCA deaths reported among K-12 students since 2001.
Following SCA, less than 10 percent survive.
No standard screening of school or college athletes exists.
While screening is recommended by the American Heart Association there is no standardization of screening.
In Italy, a national heart screening program has reduced SCA in young athletes.
By identifying 6th grade students with underlying cardiac conditions, we seek to prevent SCA via treatment and appropriate exercise limitations.
