Looking Ahead
Better quality studies with mandatory reporting of SCD and SCA are required to acquire more accurate information in athletes. Ideally, when SCD does occur there would be a standardised autopsy from a cardiac pathologist accompanied by a molecular autopsy. A pilot study of such a system in five US states with required reporting of sudden death in youth followed by death investigation is currently being funded by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, with data collection to begin in 2015. Likewise, in January 2014 the NCAA passed legislation requiring all NCAA institutions to report cases of catastrophic injury (including SCA) or death beginning August 2014. Both these initiatives will provide a rich source of prospective data in a defined population to give more accurate information regarding the incidence and aetiology of SCA/SCD in athletes.