Comments on: Combine medical test reveals Star Lotulelei has heart condition

By: jody46

jody46 — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 07:12:53 +0000

Is this a heart condition where there isn’t enough blood getting to the heart or anything? Not a doctor. I was wondering if it had to do with the plaque stuff in your right or left artery in your neck which you can have a operation on To clean it out. My dad had 90% blocked off on one side that they has to go in and unblock. They said the left ventricle is pumping at 44 percent efficiency, below the normal range of 55 percent to 70 percent so it made me think there might be a blockage? Like I said far from a doc but Hopefully he can have a operation even if it isn’t quite like what my dad had.

By: bunjy96

bunjy96 — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:14:28 +0000

That situation is not fixed with meds. Its fixed with a stent or bypass.

Not exciting options.

By: 1bigtex

1bigtex — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:52:45 +0000

Wow, I’m glad that we’ve had such noted cardiologists as trevor123698 and EJ stop by and give us the benefit of their extensive medical backgrounds.

Personally, I passed several stress tests, echocardiograms, and CT scans as well, but an angiogram prompted by a heart attack revealed a blockage of 99% in one of the principle cardiac blood vessels. BTW, my heart had shown to be working at 55% capacity and I had blood pressure of 110 over 65 with a total cholesteral of around 150. Not exactly the kind of numbers that one associates with a heart attack. Rest assured that a triple bypass is not a “slightly invasive” procedure.

Hope the guy gets well and never forget that the number one symptom of heart disease is sudden death.

By: nomesayin

nomesayin — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:44:42 +0000

I really thought there was a strong possibility that he might go to Oakland at #3. As soon as I read this article, it brought to mind another young defensive tackle who was drafted by the Raiders at the end of the first-round years ago.
Leon Bender died before he made it to OTA’s in his rookie season. It was a terrible tragedy for that young man, his family, and the Raiders. I have wondered from time to time if there were some tests which could’ve been performed on him during the scouting process which could have detected his ailment.
I hope Star is okay.

By: abreathofsanity

abreathofsanity — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 05:22:34 +0000

as a bucs fan, Gaines Adams still tugs at my heart. would hate to see this happen to someone else.

By: rockee3

rockee3 — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 04:45:33 +0000

You mean major athletic programs dont run this test?

By: richardcolvinreid

richardcolvinreid — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 03:55:48 +0000

If he was playing at a high level in college he will be fine in the nfl.

By: thegreatgabbert

thegreatgabbert — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 03:02:58 +0000

Right about now I’d say it’s third degree heartburn.

By: dat504

dat504 — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:25:22 +0000

I can’t understand why the agents of top players don’t have those guys fully evaluated. If they would have been found out about this, they may have been able to treat it before the combine. I hope this young man will be able to continue his career, he is a great player.

By: trevor123698

trevor123698 — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:05:28 +0000

yeah you guys are all dead on. the doctors are going to fix him right up just like all those other athletes whose careers ended because doctors couldnt fix them

By: EJ

EJ — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 23:52:05 +0000

Terrible. Doctors should be able to get him healthy again with a slightly invasive surgery, medication and a special diet. I don’t expect him to play this year though. If he stays in the draft, he’ll get picked up, but probably won’t actually sign until he is ready to play again. Otherwise, he can hold out and join next seasons draft. He won’t go in the first round if he waits until next years draft, but I bet he will still be around rounds 2-3. Whoever picks him up will probably get an even better player when he gets better. If he plays that well with a 44% pumping efficiency, imagine how well he’d play with 90%+??? Probably make Suh look like a girl scout. Anyway, good luck to him!

By: csstl2

csstl2 — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 23:42:14 +0000

I dont know who is more stupid trevor questioning his diet or garrison talking about him to detroit to be a rb….

By: 4ever85 (aka Butch DeadLift)

4ever85 (aka Butch DeadLift) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 23:37:40 +0000

Wow. Between Star and Jone’s medical conditions (not to mention some other injured prospects like Barkley and Milliner, no consensus elite players and one year wonders like Ansah) ought to make this draft really interesting.

Can’t we transplant Albert Haynesworth’s ventricle to Star or something?

By: romoscollarbone

romoscollarbone — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 23:35:21 +0000

They’ll get him figured out. It’s the reason they do all of this testing. These guys are investments.

The human body is beyond amazing. While the left ventricle is pumping at a reduced capacity, other parts pick up the slack, to some extent.

I don’t think this will derail his career.

By: themagicman1223

themagicman1223 — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 23:24:35 +0000

Hope he’ll have a long and great career in the NFL.

By: tyler4richardson

tyler4richardson — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 23:21:16 +0000

We will see the type of heart the kid really has now. I expect him to have long, healthy and great career. It’s best to find stuff like this out now instead of training camp like we saw with Mike Patterson’s brain issue recently.

By: hansenbrothers

hansenbrothers — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 23:20:09 +0000

Part of me feels bad for him, but part of me thinks he should be grateful that he found out sooner rather than later

By: baymac408

baymac408 — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 23:14:55 +0000

Wow this is a shame… He is really good! Probably the best player in this draft.. In my opinion he is.. Hope he turns out ok..

By: esracerx46

esracerx46 — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 23:13:19 +0000

If its serious he might never play again. Which may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. The New York Rangers drafted a kid in the first round who died on the ice, it was later discovered he had a heart condition and shouldnt have been playing. Brett Maclean, a Coyotes draft pick went into cardiac arrest on the ice over the summer. He only lived because a defibrillator was at the rink and an off duty paramedic was there. Again, heart condition and shouldnt have been playing.

By: ggeagle21

ggeagle21 — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 23:11:07 +0000

damn shame! Hopefully he has a long career, and long life

By: johnnycash19

johnnycash19 — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 23:05:04 +0000

Good thing they found it now, would hate to see another event like what happened in Michigan a couple years ago with the high school basketball player.

By: dawglb

dawglb — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 23:04:37 +0000

It’s very possible Deacon Jones had that medical condition, too. However, we never knew anything more than the medical questionnaire the player filked out or what the doctor could hear through a stethoscope….in the 70′s and prior.

By: raiderdaddy

raiderdaddy — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 23:02:41 +0000

NO Bueno! Still a fan tho. He’d be a heck of a Raider, no doubt!

By: 1972wasalongtimeago

1972wasalongtimeago — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 22:55:01 +0000

He should reture. he’s an ESPN Outside the Lines/30 for 30/E:60 /HBO Real Sports/Lawsuit vs NFL waiting to happen

By: garrison1981

garrison1981 — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 22:52:44 +0000

Detroit could use a change of pace with Leshoure

By: trevor123698

trevor123698 — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 22:52:08 +0000

what he needs is nutrition. Particularly an overload of saturated animal fat, which has never proven to be a negative factor in disease of any kind. He also needs to overload on mineral supplementation. Then again all athletes do because DEAD ATHLETES DONT LIE

By: kuhawks2010

kuhawks2010 — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 22:50:49 +0000

Sorry to hear. Hope he gets the medical help he needs…

By: green41563

green41563 — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 22:46:55 +0000

Brutal. He weighed in kind of light, too. Probably falls out of the first round now.

By: chief67

chief67 — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 22:43:38 +0000

That`s a shame , I hope it turns out ok for him .