When completed, the study will provide valuable data on the need and efficacy of screening of young hearts for hidden forms of heart disease.
Cate School, an independent boarding and day school in Carpinteria, California, has launched an eight-year research study to monitor the cardiovascular health of adolescent and young adult hearts. The study, believed to be among the first long-term studies on this age group in the U.S., has enrolled approximately 50 participants so far, ranging in ages from 14 to 18.
“We have an ideal setting in which to collect this data,” says Wade Ransom, director of athletics at Cate, and co-investigator of the study. “We have the ability to offer study participation to our entire school population, monitor those who participate while at Cate, and continue to observe them as they progress through adolescence and into adulthood. The baseline data we gather will further efforts to determine effective cardiac screening methods for this age group.”