Heart attacks kill 12 young people a week
We investigate the tragedy of sudden cardiac deaths.
Parents are being encouraged to get their kids screened for potential heart defects after it was revealed 12 young people under the age of 35 die every single week in the UK from an undetected cardiac condition.
According to the charity CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) 80% of these deaths will occur with no prior symptoms.
CRY’s screening programme now tests around 23,000 young people across the UK every year.
One in every 300 of the young people that CRY tests, will be identified with a potentially life threatening condition.
LISTEN: Catherine Silcock from Lancashire shares her story after both her dad and brother died in their 20s from sudden cardiac death:
CRY's Chief Exec is Dr Steven Cox:
"What, tragically, is true is the fact that every week in the UK, 12 young (that is aged 35 and under) “apparently fit and healthy people will die suddenly from a cardiac condition. In 80% of cases there will have been no signs or symptoms, which is why CRY believes proactive cardiac screening of young people is so vitally important.
“Of these 600+ deaths a year, some may have a genetic cause - but certainly not all will be inherited. But whatever the underlying cause, it is vital that young people are identified and treated before it is too late and another case of young sudden cardiac death rips apart yet another family and another community.
Dr Cox adds; “Through our research, we know that the numbers of young sudden cardiac deaths are not increasing, we are just getting better at identifying the conditions. We are also developing a much clearer picture of how many young people may be at risk from these silent killers. When you consider that 1 in 300 young people who are proactively screened (using an ECG test, followed by an Echocardiogram) will be identified with a potentially fatal heart condition, you begin to realise why screening is so effective and so important."
Regional, community screenings are usually funded by families who have been affected by a young sudden cardiac death, so there is no charge to the individual when CRY’s mobile cardiac screening service is bought to a local school, sports club or community venue.
John Gregory is fundraising in memory of his brother Stephen - to support him go to: Click here