Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes according to the American Heart Association, often goes undetected despite affecting an estimated 1 in 500 people. The condition disproportionately impacts Black athletes and is frequently linked to competitive sports involving sudden movements like football and basketball. To address this critical health disparity, the American Heart Association has concluded a three-year national campaign focused on providing heart health education and Hands-Only CPR training to students and families at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic-Serving Institutions nationwide.
The campaign intentionally paired HCM education with Hands-Only CPR training because HCM can trigger sudden cardiac arrest without warning, particularly during physical activity. Knowing how to respond in the first moments of an emergency can mean the difference between life and death, with CPR skills potentially doubling or tripling survival rates when cardiac arrest occurs. Throughout the campaign, hundreds of students, athletes, and community members received hands-on CPR demonstrations, advancing the Association's Nation of Lifesavers movement and equipping young people with lifesaving skills.
At the core of the initiative was a public service announcement strategy featuring English and Spanish-language radio PSAs and on-campus CPR demonstrations. These messages reinforced the importance of family heart history, early detection, and CPR education, particularly for student-athletes and their families. The Association collaborated with Black and multicultural media platforms to extend reach and credibility, including a national content integration curated by Sybil Wilkes' "Check In & Check Up" with the State of Black Health: Public Health and Media Symposium at the National Press Club in Washington D.C., reaching more than one million monthly unique visitors across the Black America Web platform.
"When students, coaches and families understand both the risks of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and how to respond immediately to sudden cardiac arrest, we create an environment where prevention and preparedness go hand in hand," said Matthew Martinez, M.D., FAHA, FACC, an American Heart Association volunteer medical expert and co-author of the 2024 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Guideline for the Management of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. "By pairing evidence-based HCM education with Hands-Only CPR training, this campaign transforms awareness into lifesaving action."
The campaign came to life on campuses and at major athletic and leadership convenings across the country, engaging student-athletes and families at HBCU homecomings and rivalry games at institutions including Hampton University, Norfolk State University, Howard University and Xavier University of Louisiana. Additional education took place at conferences such as the United Negro College Fund Leadership Conference and the Hispanic Educational Technology Services Student Experience Summit & Showcase in Puerto Rico, which reached students from Hispanic-Serving Institutions and high schools across the island.
The American Heart Association strengthened relationships with athletic conferences, university leaders and student organizations while expanding its Heart Club, the Association's student-led campus organization, to empower students as ongoing heart health ambassadors on their campuses. The campaign demonstrated how sustained, culturally relevant engagement aligned with awareness moments and trusted partners can drive national impact. By centering communities disproportionately affected by sudden cardiac death and cardiovascular disease, the American Heart Association continues to advance health equity while helping save lives through education and action. For more information about hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and resources for students, athletes and families, visit https://www.heart.org/HCMStudentAthlete.
