AUSTIN, Texas—On Saturday, Feb. 2, from 8 a.m. to noon, Heart Hospital of Austin will offer free heart screenings for students ages 14 through 18. The screening will include a 12-lead electrocardiogram (EKG) and a limited two-dimensional echocardiogram, or ultrasound of the heart, to detect hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

 

HCM is a serious genetic heart condition in which the heart muscle thickens. It affects one in 500 student athletes every year, often without any warning or symptoms.

 

“HCM is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes,” Stanley Wang, M.D., a clinical cardiologist at Heart Hospital of Austin and with Austin Heart, said. “While it is relatively easy to detect, it can be fatal if it’s not diagnosed and treated.”

 

An EKG and echocardiogram, which take about five minutes each, are non-invasive and painless screening tools. Results of the screenings will be reviewed by a cardiologist immediately after the tests are administered.

 

During the event, Heart Hospital of Austin will also offer CPR instruction and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) demonstrations for attendees.

 

Heart Hospital of Austin is located at 3801 North Lamar Blvd. Appointments are required. Each student must have a questionnaire filled out by a parent or guardian upon arrival. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 512.478.3627 or visit HeartHospitalofAustin.com.

 

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Heart Hospital of Austin, located at 3801 North Lamar Boulevard, is part of St. David’s HealthCare, one of the largest health systems in Texas, which was recognized as one of the top 15 health systems in the U.S. by Thomson Reuters in January 2012. Specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease, Heart Hospital of Austin is a shared vision of local cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons. Working with hospital leadership, the physicians created an atmosphere of quality, resulting in the leading cardiac program in Texas for six consecutive years as ranked by HealthGrades®—a leading independent health ratings organization. In July 2009, a study funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services revealed that Heart Hospital of Austin was the leading hospital in the United States for treatment of a heart attack. Heart Hospital of Austin has also been named one of the top cardiovascular hospitals in the nation by Thomson Reuters for six years, and it was also recently named to the list of 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals in 2013 by Truven Health Analytics (formerly Thomson Reuters) in conjunction with its parent campus, St. David’s Medical Center. In addition to providing a full range of cardiovascular services and an advanced ExecutiveWellness Program, Heart Hospital of Austin has a comprehensive 24-hour emergency department. Heart Hospital of Austin is a St. David’s Medical Center facility. For more information, please visit HeartHospitalofAustin.com.

 

Austin Heart is the largest provider of cardiac and vascular services in Central Texas, with 12 full-time officelocations, 13 outreach clinics and 46 cardiologists. Austin Heart has been serving the Central Texas area since 1973. Austin Heart’s cardiologists sub-specialize in every diagnostic and treatment area of cardiovascular disease, America’s No. 1 killer—interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, congestive heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, vein disease, sleep disorders, erectile dysfunction, imaging, women’s cardiovascular health and a nationally recognized research department. To learn more about Austin Heartphysicians, or to schedule an appointment, visit AustinHeart.com.