Is Your Heart a Ticking Time Bomb?

Is Your Heart a Ticking Time Bomb?

Is Your Heart a Ticking Time Bomb?

Is Your Heart a Ticking Time Bomb?

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June 26, 2002 -- If it can happen to a young, professional athlete in peak condition, it can happen to anyone. That's the fear being echoed by of millions of baseball fans in the wake of the death of St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Darryl Kile.

Initial autopsy results suggest that Kile died from an 80%-90% blockage of two of his three main heartarteries -- a condition known as atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. In atherosclerosis, the arteries become narrowed and sometimes clogged by deposits of fatty substances, calcium, and plaque, which can lead to heart attack or death. Preliminary autopsy reports reveal no evidence of a heart attack in Kile. However, people with severe blockage of a heart artery can die from a heart rhythm problem with no previous signs of heart disease.

Kile's heart was also significantly enlarged, according to the autopsy results -- a sign of a strained heart. In addition, the night before his death, Kile reportedly complained of shoulder pain and of feeling weak and very tired -- possible signs that his heart was failing.

The Cardinal's team physician, Jim Loomis, MD, told reporters on Saturday that the 33-year-old pitcher had no known health problems and was not on any medication.

Loomis said Kile had a routine physical as a part of spring training, which included routine lab tests and an ECG, which measures electrical activity in the heart. But experts say ECGs do not necessarily reveal when arteries are already largely blocked. In addition, some types of potentially life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms can be missed.

Although Kile's father died from heart-related problems in his mid-40s in 1993, Loomis says the pitcher never underwent extensive heart tests to check for potential problems.

Know Your Risk

Patrick Tchou, MD, head of the section of cardiac electrophysiology and pacing in the department of cardiovascular medicine at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, says knowing your family medical history and risk factors may be the most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of the nation's No. 1 killer -- heart disease.

"The best thing is to know that you are in a high-risk group and start the screening and intervention process early on," Tchou tells WebMD. He recommends that people who have more than one of the following major risk factors for heart disease should see a doctor for screening: