Expressions Dance Theatre in Erlanger hosted a heart screening event on Saturday as part of an effort to offer preventative measures against sudden cardiac arrest for local athletes.
Put on in partnership with MCORE, a foundation that provides cardiac screenings, the event aimed to provide early detection methods against sudden cardiac arrest, a heart condition wherein the heart suddenly stops beating.
Although the condition is rare, sudden cardiac arrest is the leading medical cause of death among athletes, according to a 2014 medical meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. For example, 16-year-old Matthew Mangine Jr., a student at St. Henry District High School in Erlanger, suffered cardiac arrest during soccer practice in 2020. Mangine later died in the hospital, and his parents started a foundation in his honor.
The event provided screenings using an electrocardiogram, or EKG, machine and a limited echo-cardiogram. Over 30 screenings took place at the event.
“Ensuring access to these screenings can make all the difference in detecting and preventing heart-related conditions before they become serious,” said Expressions Dance Theatre Community Engagement Coordinator Natalie Meyer.
“Our dancers’ well-being is our highest priority,” said Cara Patrick, studio owner of Expressions Dance Theatre. “EDT is proud to sponsor this event and be a part of keeping our youth heart healthy! We have a handful of dancers with different heart conditions, and it is so important to us to take the time to care for each child.”
You can learn more about Expressions Dance Theatre and the MCORE Foundation below: