Recent conversations I've had around cultural sensitivity and clinical practice have inspired me to revisit this fabulous piece of literature first published in 1997. The story of Lia Lee, a Hmong child diagnosed with severe epilepsy in the United States, is a tragic account of how cultural misunderstandings can be so very detrimental to a patient's well being. Both Lia's family and her treating Western doctors wanted only the best for Lia. However, their different perspective...

When was your last anatomy lesson? The heart is an extraordinary muscle that pumps blood throughout the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients while removing waste. This process happens through a series of rhythmic contractions and relaxations known as the cardiac cycle. Understanding how the heart beats in a single cycle can help you appreciate how this vital organ keeps you alive. Phases of the cardiac cycle The cardiac cycle consists of two main phases: systole and diastole. These terms...

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) recently updated their guidelines on 'Eligibility and Disqualification Recommendations for Competitive Athletes with Cardiovascular Abnormalities'. With respect to Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), a matter obviously close to my own heart and the single most common cause of sudden death in young competitive athletes in the United States, the new disqualification/eligibility guidelines do not differ that much...

This article is motivated by some incidental conversations I've had with fellow athletes in recent times regarding dissatisfaction with their own medication regimes. The use of beta-blockers, in particular, for managing hypertension (high blood pressure) or arrhythmia (irregular heart beat) in athletes has cropped up a few times.  Here, I give an overview of beta blockers and set out some of the salient issues for athletes who are on beta-blockers. If this topic bears some releva...

The Unforgiving Minute Ron Clarke AO MBE (1937-2015) Ron Clarke was a man who, indisputably, gave his whole heart to a race. Towards the end of the year, we contemplate the year gone by. Ron Clarke passed away in June this year. He is sadly missed by the athletic fraternity. Ron is regarded as one of Australia's most prolific world record breakers who revolutionised distance running on the world stage. During his running career, he set 17 world records between 2 miles and 20 kilomet...