The routine use of electrocardiograms, or ECGs, is not recommended for young athletes, according to a new guideline released by American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology. The devices are often used to evaluate the potential risk for sudden cardiac arrest.
According to a joint statement from the two groups, use of an ECG to help detect possible heart attack risk has proven ineffective to this point.
"Using 12-lead electrocardiograms to detect underlying congenital or genetic cardiovascular heart disease as a screening tool in healthy people 12-25 years old without positive findings on the history and physical examination has not been shown to save lives," reads the statement.
They add, "The media coverage of sudden cardiac arrests in athletes may have created the exaggerated impression that these tragic events are far more common than they actually are, or that they are limited to athletes."
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