NJ doctor weighs in on reported spike in athlete deaths (Opinion)

On Monday night, many of us watched in shock as Buffalo Bills Safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed after making a tackle.

It did not take long for social media to explode in a fury of speculation and vitriol directed at the NFL, football, and fellow social media users.

First, let me restate what I said on the air in the wake of the tragedy. Don't speculate on the cause of the cardiac arrest to fit a political narrative. It's too early and distracts from the conversation that needs to be held right now.

That conversation has to be about the spike in cardiac arrests among otherwise healthy, younger athletes in peak physical condition.

A recent study conducted with data from 27 countries published last month highlights the crisis. Dr. Peter McCullough joined fellow doctors and shared some disturbing facts.

According to the author's research, there have been 1,598 athletes who have suffered cardiac arrest since January 2021 with 1,101 fatalities. That's a mortality rate of 69% among those impacted.

Comparatively, over a 38-year span from 1966 to 2004 a total of 1,101 athletes younger than 35 years old suffered the same fate. That's an average of 29 deaths per year.

So why are the past two years so dramatically higher? New Jersey doctor Craig Wax joined me on the show to discuss his perspective as a doctor who treats athletes and works directly with a local New Jersey school district.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own. Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015.

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