Star Lotulelei has a heart condition. Has to leave combine.

[Dee Dub]

[URL="http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/29237/star-lotulelei"]Star Lotulelei[/URL], one of the elite prospects for the 2013 NFL draft, will not be allowed to work out Monday at the scouting combine after an echocardiogram revealed that the former Utah defensive tackle has a heart condition that requires more testing, according to league sources.

Lotulelei's agent, Bruce Tollner, confirmed to ESPN's Joe Schad that the first team All-American had an abnormal test result as part of his physical and will visit a specialist this week.
Lotulelei was discovered to have an abnormally low Ejection Fraction, detecting that the left ventricle of his heart was pumping at only 44 percent efficiency, sources said. The normal range is between 55-70 percent efficiency.
The 6-foot-2, 311-pound Lotulelei will undergo further testing in Salt Lake City in an effort to seek more clarity with the condition, a source said. If it's a confirmed chronic condition, medical experts consider it an indication of possible heart damage.
Tollner said Lotulelei was asked by combine officials not to participate until consulting a specialist. Lotulelei still will be interviewed by NFL teams in Indianapolis and plans to participate at Utah's Pro Day on March 20.
Lotulelei is the No. 1 overall player as ranked by Scouts, Inc., and has been rated as a top-5 draft prospect by ESPN draft experts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay.


[URL]http://espn.go.com/nfl/draft2013/story/_/id/8981415/2013-nfl-draft-combine-star-lotulelei-heart-condition-work-monday-according-sources[/URL]

[Chadman]

Where will this drop him to???

[Dee Dub]

Where will this drop him to???

Dont know. This sounds pretty serious though. I hope the young man will be ok.

[SteelBucks]

Hate to see that. I hope everything works out for the kid.

[supersteeler]

Hopefully when he visits a specialist and more testing he'll have a better result. At this point the kid is worried about his health more than the draft so I hope it works out for him.
I wonder why this wasn't picked up earlier? Players have to take a physical to play football so does the physical include tests like this?

[Shawn]

This is unfortunate on many levels.

[Shawn]

Hopefully when he visits a specialist and more testing he'll have a better result. At this point the kid is worried about his health more than the draft so I hope it works out for him.
I wonder why this wasn't picked up earlier? Players have to take a physical to play football so does the physical include tests like this?

Typical physicals don't involve an echo of the heart.

[D Rock]

This is unfortunate on many levels.

would you still draft him at 17, doc?

[steelblood]

Obviously, I hope the kid is ok too. Heart problems are scary stuff.

However, once they determine if there is an abnormality, disease, or simply a blockage. He may settle right into the #17 pick. He is not Ngata, but he is close.

[phillyesq]

Typical physicals don't involve an echo of the heart.

I'll certainly defer to you on this, but my (very limited) understanding is that decreased LV function is pretty significant, especially at those levels, right?

[Shawn]

I'll certainly defer to you on this, but my (very limited) understanding is that decreased LV function is pretty significant, especially at those levels, right?

That's correct. I couldn't tell from the article though if they were saying his ejection fraction was 44% or if it was 44% from the norm. That makes a difference because an EF of 44% is not a bad EF. I suspect they are worried that he has a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. That is the heart condition where the heart is so big it no longer pumps effectively. That is also the heart condition that has a propensity to cause cardiac arrythmias (funky heart beats) which can lead to sudden death.

So, to answer the questions about draftability...I think at this point its an all or nothing kind of thing...he will or wont be cleared. If he is cleared it's likely due to the fact that his heart is healthy and it shouldnt effect his draft stock. If he isn't, he likely wont play a game in the NFL even with medical intervention.

[Shawn]

would you still draft him at 17, doc?

If he is cleared medically, in a heart beat.