August 1, 2012

Overcoming a Heart Condition to Win Olympic Gold

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The swimmer Dana Vollmer joined the London Olympics highlight reel when she set a record in the 100-meter butterfly on Sunday, becoming the first woman ever to finish the event in less than 56 seconds…But one of the most compelling aspects of Ms. Vollmer’s story is that she overcame not only athletic stumbles on her way to the gold but also a potentially deadly heart condition…Ms. Vollmer appears to have outgrown her long QT diagnosis. Doctors can no longer detect any signs of it. But her story illustrates that some athletes can still participate in competitive sports despite cardiac defects. Indeed, a study by the Mayo Clinic published last week looked at 130 athletes who continued competing despite a diagnosis of long QT syndrome and found that only one had a cardiac event triggered by the condition while playing.

 

NY Times by Anahad O’Connor

Tags: Cardiology, Dana Vollmer, Long QT Syndrome, NY Times, Research

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