Bronny James' cardiac arrest likely caused by congenital heart disease

The Cause of Bronny James' Cardiac Arrest Revealed.

Bronny James

 Bronny James slipped into cardiac arrest during a basketball exercise at the University of Southern California last month due of a congenital heart abnormality, according to a family representative.

The 18-year-old son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James was sick on July 24. He was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and subsequently was evaluated by physicians at the Mayo Clinic and Atlantic Health-Morristown Medical Center in New Jersey.

A statement published on Friday by Stephanie Rosa of the LeBron James Family Foundation says the likely cause of James’ abrupt cardiac death has been discovered.

“It is an anatomically and functionally significant Congenital Heart Defect which can and will be treated,” the statement read. “We are very confident in Bronny’s full recovery and return to basketball in the very near future.”

The younger James was discharged from Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles three days after the incident at USC’s Galen Center. The next night he dined out in Santa Monica with his family.

Bronny, whose full name is LeBron James Jr., committed to USC in May after the 6-foot-3 guard became one of the nation’s top prospects out of Sierra Canyon School in neighbouring Chatsworth.

James didn’t accompany the Trojans on their European trip this month.

Bronny James was the second high-profile USC basketball recruit to succumb into cardiac arrest in the recent year. Vincent Iwuchuwku also was struck during a practise in July, but the 7-foot-1 center returned to the floor six months later, ultimately appearing in 14 games for the Trojans as a rookie.

What is a congenital cardiac defect?

A congenital heart defect (CHD) is the most common form of birth abnormality and may "affect the structure of a baby’s heart and the way it works," according to the CDC. CHDs may vary from minor instances like a tiny hole in the heart to severe ones include missing or poorly formed sections of the heart, reports the CDC. CHDs are present at birth and may even be recognised as early as during pregnancy, yet there are situations when they go undetected until maturity. There are an estimated two million-plus persons in the United States living with CHD, according to the CDC.

What causes congenital heart defects?

The aetiology of most CHDs are unknown, while some are hereditary.

The Mayo Clinic states frequent CHD symptoms in adults include:

• Irregular heart beats (arrhythmias)
• Blue skin, lips and fingernails (cyanosis)
• Shortness of breath
• Feeling exhausted very soon with activities
• Swelling of bodily tissue or organs (edema)

What is the therapy for congenital heart defects?

Treatment for individuals with CHDs might involve frequent examinations, drugs or procedures, according to the Mayo Clinic.

There are consequences that may emerge even long after a CHD has been treated, including as abnormal heartbeats (arrhythmias), heart infection (endocarditis), stroke, high blood pressure in the lung arteries (pulmonary hypertension) and heart failure, according to the Mayo Clinic.

What athletes have congenital heart defects?

James isn't the first renowned athlete with a CHD. Former USWNT midfielder/forward Lauren Holiday had open-heart surgery at the age of 3 to address an atrial septal defect, while famed snowboarder/skateboarder Shaun White had two open-heart operations before he turned 1 to treat tetralogy of fallot.

In 2005, New England Patriots three-time Super Bowl champion linebacker Tedy Bruschi had a stroke caused by a previously undetected patent foramen ovale. Bruschi got a treatment to fix the problem and was back on the field later that same year.