Case report (part 1 – diagnosis)

A 57-tear-old man made an appointment for an Athletic Heart SF screening.  He was feeling well.  His exercise routine included lifting weights, but also doing some light treadmill activity at the gym several times a week.

He played competitive football and basketball in high school, and played various other sports throughout his life.  He played full court basketball until 4 years ago but had to stop due to mild knee arthritis.  He had been coaching sports for many years.  For the last 1-2 years, he had noted some mild shortness of breath walking uphill.

He had no prior history of heart disease.  He was advised by his primary care physician to take blood pressure and cholesterol-lowering medications, but he declined.  He had no other chronic illnesses except for mild knee arthritis and occasional tension headaches.  He considered himself in good overall health.

During the Athletic Heart SF screening, we confirmed that his blood pressure was elevated.  We also discovered a significant aneurysm of the ascending aorta.  Left undetected and unattended, this aneurysm could rupture and lead to very serious complications: stroke, heart attack, paralysis, kidney failure, or death.Read more