Astori illness 'undetectable'

By Football Italia staff

The condition which led to the death of Fiorentina captain Davide Astori is undetectable in 20 per cent of cases, according to a new report.

The defender suffered a cardiac arrest in March this year, and was found dead in his bed by teammates the next day.

While there is no suggestion of any foul play, the Florence prosecutor requested a new expert report to determine if Astori’s death could have been prevented.

The Italian international died due to a ventricular fibrillation from arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, and the University of Padua has concluded that in 20 per cent of cases the disease would be undetectable.

The University is a world leader in pathology, and studied 800 cases involving the sudden death of people under the age of 35, including around 100 athletes, according to Cristina Basso of the Department of Cardiology, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences.

In those deaths the most common cause was arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, a hereditary disease that killed around one in four athletes studied.

In young people who suffer from the condition, playing sport multiplies the risk of death by about five.

However, the case remains open as the report does not definitively establish that nothing could have been done to prevent Astori’s tragic passing.

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