Sudden death in squash players

A series of thirty sudden deaths (twenty-nine men, one woman) associated with squash playing is described. The subjects' mean age was 46.7 +/- SD 9.58 years (range 22-66). Necropsy results were available for twenty-seven subjects. Significant coronary heart disease (CHD) was found in twenty-three, valvular heart disease in three, and hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy in one, and cardiac arrhythmia, in the absence of other pathology, was thought to have preceded death in two. One subject died from intracerebral haemorrhage. Twenty-two had reported prodromal symptoms, and of those with CHD, sixteen had had at least one identifiable CHD risk factor. Twelve subjects had been known by their family physician to have a medical disorder related to the cardiovascular system.