Older athletes who look healthy can still have hidden clogged arteries that suddenly cause their heart to stop, which is why we need better ways to find these problems before it's too late.

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Evidence from Studies

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Atherosclerosis and Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletes.

Narrative Review

Human

2025 Sep

This study says that older athletes who look healthy can still have hidden artery disease that causes sudden heart death, and we need better tests to find it before it’s too late — which is exactly what the claim says.

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Source Study

Atherosclerosis and Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletes.

Score: 1

DOI: 10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2025.103123

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Young athletes who die suddenly during sports usually have a birth defect in their heart arteries, while older athletes die from clogged arteries — two different problems at different ages.

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Standard heart tests like EKGs and treadmill tests often miss clogged arteries in older athletes, so doctors might need to use special CT scans to find these hidden problems.

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