By David L. Snelling

Miami – High school student athletes in Florida are now required to complete an electrocardiogram which can detect any heart conditions before they hit the playing fields, basketball and volleyball courts.

Florida became the first state in the U.S. to require ECG (also called EKG) screening for high school athletes after Gov. De Santis signed the Second Chance Act into law last week.

Senate Bill 1070 mandates school districts to implement a program for athletes to undergo medical tests to determine any heart problems including cardiomyopathy.

Cardiomyopathy is a disease that affects the heart muscle, making it harder for the heart to pump blood effectively, and the No. 1 cause of death for athletes in the nation, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH).

Cardiomyopathy can lead to sudden cardiac arrest which can be- come fatal if not treated immediately.

According to an American Heart Association study, between 2002 and 2022, 1,101 athletes under the age of 35 died from sudden cardiac arrest in the U.S.

Male athletes were about four times more likely to die from sudden cardiac arrest than female athletes, and Black athletes are three times more likely to die than whites.

In April 2025, Belen Jesuit sophomore Lucas Osuna died from cardiac arrest during a water polo tournament.

According to reports, Lucas, 15, had an undiagnosed condition called Marfan’s Syndrome, which can cause the heart to weaken overtime.

At the time, all Florida high school athletes had to undergo a physical exam which couldn’t detect underlying heart conditions.

Florida’s new law goes hand in hand with an existing requirement that middle and high schools provide CPR and first aid training for staff.

By July 1, 2027, all public schools must have one automated external defibrillator (AED) on campus.

Schools that participate in Florida High School Athletic Association sports are already required to have an AED.

Parent Heart Watch, which has been lobbying for a state law to require electrocardiogram for student athletes, said tests can detect 80 percent of conditions linked to sudden cardiac arrest.

The non-profit focuses on protecting children and young adults from sudden cardiac arrest and preventable sudden cardiac death by educating and advocating for change.

Traditional sports physicals and family history identify only 10 – 20 percent, but adding an ECG can boost detection to 94 percent, making it a powerful tool for protecting young athletes.

“Family and friends affected by sudden cardiac arrest have championed heart screenings for decades,” said

Martha Lopez-Anderson, executive director of Parent Heart Watch.

“Through collaboration with Floridabased Parent Heart Watch member foundations and dedicated medical champions, we’ve achieved a long sought milestone in the pursuit of a stronger standard of care.”

Black athletes competing in high school, collegiate and sporting events have a higher risk of developing heart problems due to genetics.

Last month, Eliud Kipsang, a former NCAA 1500-meter record holder from the University of Alabama, died after suffering cardiac arrest after a run, according to the university.

The 28-year-old Kenya native earned several first-team All-American honors as a runner.

According to a study, while the overall incidence of sudden cardiac death among National Collegiate Athletic Association athletes decreased over a 20-year period through 2022, the rates of sudden cardiac death remained highest among male athletes, Black athletes and basketball players.

Sudden cardiac death events occurred most during athletic exertion among people with congenital abnormalities of the coronary arteries, and sudden cardiac death remains the most common cause of non-accidental death among college athletes

Dr. Eli Friedman, medical director of sports cardiology at the Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, which is part of Baptist Health, said to prevent tragedy, the parents of athletes in high school and college should inform their doctors about family history of heart conditions.

Friedman said parents should keep track of kids having symptoms of heart conditions such as dizziness, fainting, fatigue, chest pains, irregular heartbeat and shortness of breath and immediately seek doctor’s care.

A doctor can perform an extensive medical examination to detect the exact heart condition and recommend medicine to treat the disease.

The medical expert may also suggest avoiding high intensity and endurance of competitive sports, which can place a strain on the heart muscle.

Requiring every high school athlete to undergo an electrocardiogram, however, may not be the answer.

“Up to 50 percent of causes of cardiac arrest in sport would not be detected by an electrocardiogram and a physical exam,” Friedman explained.

“So I think we get into really troublesome waters if we start mandating that everyone has to get an electrocardiogram to play sports.

“There’s a lot of kids who engage in sports outside of school. Do they get an electrocardiogram? How about kids in PE class and the marching band, do they need an EKG?”