[Sudden cardiac death among young athletes--should we screen?].

Sudden death involving athletes is always tragic and receives widespread public attention. The European Society of Cardiology has proposed cardiovascular screening of young competitive athletes. A report from the Danish Society of Cardiology recently concluded that screening cannot be recommended in Denmark at present. This conclusion was based mainly on inadequate documentation of the effect of screening and on considerations regarding cost-effectiveness. We recommend other prophylactic measures and further research on this issue.