Glenbard South offers heart tests for its students
A five-minute test could help save the lives of some Glenbard South High School students.
This week, all students at the school will get the chance to have that test -- for free.
The Midwest Heart Foundation will spend Thursday and Friday at the Glen Ellyn school giving teenagers a five-minute EKG that helps identify hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
A genetic abnormality present in approximately one in 500 people, the cardiac condition affects athletes and is the most common cause of sudden death in young adults, according to the foundation.
It enlarges the left ventricle of the heart, which can trigger fatal heart-rhythm disturbances, particularly during exercise.
An EKG can detect certain impulse patterns, or "markers," associated with the condition that a stethoscope cannot, foundation information explains.
"If they can find one person -- and they can correct one person -- it's money well-spent," said Pam Peterson, Glenbard South assistant principal for student services.
The foundation picks up the entire cost of the testing and the school provides volunteers to help with the tests. Glenbard East students went through similar testing earlier in the fall.
Once the tests are read by a cardiologist, the results are then forwarded to families for follow-up.