Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset offers cardiovascular screenings for student-athletes

Free cardiac screenings for high school athletes between the ages of 14 and 18 will be available on February 4 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Somerset, according to MyCentralJersey.com.

Hospital staff will analyze the patients' medical histories and cardiovascular systems as part of their screenings. More than 1,100 teenagers from various area high schools have had their hearts screened over the last 13 years at RWJUH Somerset, according to the article. 

Steven Georgeson, a cardiologist at RWJUH Somerset, previously said the recent cardiac arrest of the Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin is proof that heart issues can impact anyone and that such examinations are essential preventive measures.

"Cardiac screening may detect underlying heart disease and prevent a tragic event in a young athlete," he said.

Undetected cardiac defects have claimed the lives of several student-athletes from several New Jersey cities, such as Colonia, Edison and South Brunswick, in recent years.

In 2015, a Rutgers student and former student-athlete from East Brunswick collapsed and died while playing basketball on campus, according to the article.

"A significant heart event can affect anyone, even a young athlete at the top of their field," Georgeson said.