A cardiac MRI of college athletes who had COVID-19 is seven times more effective in detecting inflammation of the heart than symptom-based testing, according to a new study. The study of 1,597 COVID-19 positive athletes in the Big Ten Conference who had cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) screening found 2.3% were diagnosed with myocarditis and most didn’t exhibit symptoms of the rare disease, a leading cause of sudden death in competitive athletes. Of the 37 athletes diagnosed with myocarditis, 28 were asymptomatic. This is the largest study of college athletes and comprehensive cardiac evaluation including cardiac MRIs. In September 2020, the Big Ten Conference mandated advanced testing for all COVID-19 positive athletes before they could return to play, citing studies that showed myocardial inflammation in patients who recovered from COVID-19. The incidence of sudden cardiac death in collegiate athletes has been estimated at one per 50,000 per year. Myocarditis is usually caused by a viral …