American Heart Association Leverages HBCU Football Game to Address Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Cardiac Arrest Prevention

The American Heart Association brought critical heart health education to Lincoln Financial Field during the Battle of the Legends college football game featuring former players DeSean Jackson's Delaware State Hornets and Michael Vick's Norfolk State Spartans. The Association established an interactive pregame Heart Health Zone focused on two crucial areas: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy awareness and Hands-Only CPR education. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy represents the leading cause of sudden cardiac death among young athletes according to the American Heart Association, affecting as many as 1 in every 500 young people in the United States while often remaining undiagnosed.

The condition involves thickening and stiffening of the heart walls, limiting the heart's ability to properly fill and pump blood. Jennifer Litchman-Green, executive director of the American Heart Association, Greater Philadelphia, emphasized that heart health belongs everywhere from homes to schools to the 50-yard line. She noted that while conditions like HCM remain prevalent, many people lack awareness about how widespread the condition is or how to respond during sudden cardiac arrest episodes. The Association's presence at the HBCU event reflects their broader mission to ensure every community, particularly those historically underrepresented in healthcare, accesses the knowledge and resources needed for longer, healthier lives.

Throughout the evening, participants learned the correct rate and depth of CPR compressions through walk-up style CPR education opportunities. Fans received business cards with QR codes linking to additional information about HCM, Hands-Only CPR, and instructions for starting Heart Clubs at schools. The activation builds on the Association's ongoing work with historically black colleges and universities, student-athletes, and community leaders to expand health literacy and improve outcomes for heart disease and stroke across historically underrepresented populations. Fans were encouraged to visit https://www.heart.org/HCMStudentAthlete and https://www.heart.org/Nation to continue learning and sharing resources within their networks.

The American Heart Association aims to double cardiac arrest survival rates by 2030 through their Nation of Lifesavers movement, adding more confident and capable individuals to respond during cardiac emergencies. Their HCM awareness and education in athletes receives support from a grant by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation. By reaching fans and families where they gather, the Association helps build stronger, more informed communities equipped to protect and save lives through immediate response capabilities and increased awareness about cardiac health risks affecting young athletes.