March 2005 – Rampant speculation on New England’s favorite linebacker and whether he’d be able to play football again:
One is a patent foramen ovale (PFO). This is a condition where there is an opening between the upper two chambers of the heart that fails to close after birth. It is detected in about 25 to 40 percent of adults. A meta-analysis has suggested that those with a PFO have more than a 3-fold risk of stroke in those less than 55 years of age. Another congenital abnormality, an atrial septal aneurysm (ASA), can also be associated with a PFO. The presence of both further increases the risk of stroke by 15-fold.
