There’s a bit of a cliché that high school athletes are invincible. They are expected to spend hours in the weight room, pushing their bodies to the absolute limit. But the reality is that being “fit” isn’t always the same thing as being “healthy,” especially when it comes to the one organ we can’t see. Heart health screenings are preventative assessments-often involving blood pressure checks, cholesterol tests, and sometimes imaging like EKGs- designed to identify risks or heart disease, stroke, and hypertension early. These screenings help identify issues like plaque buildup, abnormal heart rhythms, or structural problems. An electrocardiogram, or EKG, is a painless, non-invasive test and it only takes 5 minutes to complete. This Friday, February 27th from 8:25am-4:45pm there will be a heart screening held at Durango High School. The first 200 students aged 10-25 will be screened for free, sponsored by Durango High School Booster Club & Kiwanis Club of Durango. 80% of students show no symptoms prior to sudden cardiac arrest, and 1 in 300 students have a detectable heart condition. When heart conditions or risk factors (like high blood pressure or cholesterol) are detected early, doctors can often use less invasive and more cost-effective treatments, such as lifestyle modifications (diet and exercise), instead of relying on surgery or intensive care later in life. Many dangerous heart issues are electrical or structural and do not show up during routine sports physicals or well-child checks. Thousands of children are born with heart defects that may go undetected until adolescence. Screenings allow for early intervention, such as lifestyle changes, medication, or further medical evaluation. Free, community-based screenings remove financial barriers for families, ensuring more children have access to potentially life-saving diagnostics. The goal of DHS is to have 100% of our Fall athletes heart screened going into next fall’s athletic season.