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Disruptive Heart Rhythms

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We hear stories about young, apparently healthy athletes who suddenly die after an intense performance. What’s going on? For some, about one in five thousand, a heart disorder known as ARVDis to blame. It’s a genetic condition that affects heart tissue, causing fat and scar fibers to build up, interfere with electrical impulses, and disrupt the heart’s rhythm.

Hopkins cardiologist Dr. Hugh Calkins says treatment includes this sobering advice exercising: no endurance sports, no competitive sports. And we hear from Preston Haugh, who thought soccer might be his path to the Olympics, until a fainting episode altered his dream.

Sheilah Kast is the host of On The Record, Monday-Friday, 9:30-10:00 am.
Maureen Harvie is Senior Supervising Producer for On the Record. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and joined WYPR in 2014 as an intern for the newsroom. Whether coordinating live election night coverage, capturing the sounds of a roller derby scrimmage, interviewing veterans, or booking local authors, she is always on the lookout for the next story.