Enlarged heart played part in death

Arkansas tight end Garrett Uekman (left), who collapsed in his dorm room and died later at Washington Medical Center in Fayetteville, is congratulated by fans at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock after an early season victory. An enlarged heart contributed to Uekman’s death.

— Arkansas tight end Garrett Uekman died as a result of an enlarged heart and a progressive condition that causes an irregular heartbeat and restricts the organ’s ability to pump blood, Washington County Coroner Roger Morris said Tuesday.

The cause of death comes two days after Uekman, 19, was found unresponsive in his three-person suite after roommates left him alone playing video games late Sunday morning. Uekman died later at Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville.

Morris said the cause of death was passed along by the state Crime Laboratory in Little Rock, which received Uekman’s body Monday morning. It conducted an autopsy and ran a toxicology screening for improper drug use, which came back negative.

“It’s a condition that’s hard to detect and it can come on rapidly,” Morris said. “That’s what we’re going with in this case.”

The condition, formally known as cardiomyopathy, is difficult to detect because symptoms are absent in early onset, but as the heart enlarges and its walls stiffen, it works harder to pump blood through the circulatory system.

Morris said symptoms can include shortness of breath, dizziness, prolonged fatigue and an irregular heartbeat, a symptom that can exacerbate the condition in its later stages.

“You don’t think about it because the symptoms can be so mild and really not catch your attention,” Morris said. “You could go and just run a mile nice and easy and just have some shortness of breath. You wouldn’t think there’s a problem.”

Uekman’s parents, Danny and Michelle Uekman, were notified of the findings Tuesday, said Mike Bennett, Garrett Uekman’s uncle who spoke on behalf of the family.

“It was sort of a surprise to learn that’s what it was,” Bennett said.

Uekman’s condition is one that can be easily masked in athletes.

Former Chicago Bears defensive end Gaines Adams, 26, died in January 2010 of the same condition after he went into cardiac arrest in his hometown of Greenwood, S.C., after his girlfriend found him unconscious.

In 2007, marathoner Ryan Shay, 28, collapsed at the five mile mark of the U.S. Olympic trials and died after suffering a similar cardiac arrest, with his father later disclosing the runner had battled an enlarged heart since he was 14 years old.

According to the Mayo Clinic, athletic heart syndrome - a form of cardiomyopathy sometimes found in athletes - is a condition where significant amounts of exercise enlarge the muscle. It is common among athletes who perform up to an hour of exercise a day. Symptoms can be benign, but the problem can be detected through an echocardiogram or electrocardiogram.

Morris said his office has seen a slightly higher number of deaths stemming from the condition but could not provide specific figures or cases.

“We’ve been seeing more of this recently in some cases, and not just athletes,” Morris said. “We’ve seen it some young people in their 20s and early 30s with a sudden onset.”

Morris said he expected more information would be forthcoming over the next week regarding what might have triggered Uekman’s cardiac arrest.

“It’d be difficult for me to say at this point until we have a formal report,” Morris said. “What the deal is, is that a person can have this [condition] for a long period of time. Some people are affected differently than others. You’d have to really notice symptoms.”

Uekman’s family finalized funeral plans Tuesday. A memorial service will take place Sunday evening at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in North Little Rock, with the funeral scheduled for Monday at Christ the King Catholic Church in Little Rock.

Sports, Pages 19 on 11/23/2011