Shay's father says his son was first diagnosed with an enlarged heart when he was 14. But whether that contributed to his death isn't known. Autopsy results are expected later.
Speaking at the meeting, Dr. Lori Mosca, director of preventive cardiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital said heart problems can cause an irregular heartbeat and sudden deaths are missed because of lack of uniform screening of athletes.
Dr. Barry J. Maron of the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation estimated about 125 athletes under 35 involved in organized sports die of sudden death in the United States each year.
The vast majority of deaths were cardiac-related and about a quarter involved a condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which causes an enlarged heart, the Associated Press reports.
Many of the cardiac diseases that lead to sudden death can be spotted through the screening process that includes questions spotting potential heart problems through personal and family medical history and a physical exam.
Experts recommend all sedentary men over 40 and women over 50 to be screened before starting a vigorous exercise program. While the inherited condition is mostly found in the young, other heart problems can cause sudden death in those over 35.
The so-called "athlete's heart" thickens the heart muscle overall but hypertrophic cardiomyopathy creates thickening in one part of the heart and makes it harder to pump blood out to the body. An estimated of one in 500 people have the disorder and some people have no symptoms.
