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SUDDEN
DEATH IN ADULTS
The
British Heart Foundation (BHF) is funding an important £1.6million
project, which aims to discover whether hundreds of ‘apparently
healthy’ adults in the UK could be at risk from potentially fatal heart
arrhythmias after taking over-the-counter remedies for common complaints
such as hay fever or indigestion.
The
five year research programme, which is being launched today (29 April
2003) at the annual British Cardiac Annual Scientific Conference in
Glasgow, will investigate around 500 cases of ‘drug-induced’
arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) - hoping to provide some critical
answers to this life threatening phenomenon.
Fears
about the suspected link between some commonly prescribed drugs and fatal
heart arrhythmia have already lead to the withdrawal of leading remedies
such as Triludan (an antihistimine prescribed for hay fever) and Prepulsid
(often taken for acid indigestion). However, some drugs – such as
treatments for malaria or antibiotics for people allergic to penicillin
– cannot be banned from widespread general use and it is therefore vital
that ‘at risk’ individuals can be identified early so that GPs can
consider alternative treatments.
The
research team – based at St George’s Hospital Medical School, London
and the Drug Safety Research Unit (DSRU), Southampton, are now asking all
consultant physicians and GPs throughout England to become involved in the
project by identifying patients who have developed abnormalities of their
ECG and / or heart rhythm after taking medicines which are known to have
this serious side effect. It
is hoped that around 2,000 ‘control’ patients will also take part.
The
study aims to improve understanding of this type of sudden death as a
public health issue. However, research in this area is currently very
limited due to under-reporting and the clinical difficulties in linking
sudden death to drug therapy in retrospect, after that person has died.
Researcher,
Dr Elijah Behr, says; “Although we are at the very early stages of this
exciting new project, our goals are clear - to raise awareness of this
phenomenon, to help us predict who might be at risk from it and to
ultimately ensure safer prescribing practice by physicians, GPs and
pharmacists.”
It
is believed that many of the people who could be at risk from this type of
sudden cardiac death may suffer from mild forms of genetic conditions such
as the Long QT or Brugada syndromes that may be uncovered by the drug.
These are thought to be relatively rare conditions affecting the heart’s
rhythm (around 1 in 5-10,000) but because they are hard to detect, it is
thought these cases could represent the tip
of an iceberg.
In
fact, many of these patients may carry the faulty genes which put them at
risk from drug-induced sudden death but display no obvious signs (such as
an abnormal heart rhythm during an ECG test) highlighting the importance
of identifying and monitoring anyone who has experienced a suspected
drug-induced arrhythmia.
It
is also predicted that underlying abnormalities might be picked up in some
of the cases referred to in this study – leading to appropriate
medication or life saving interventions such as implantable cardioverter
defibrillators (ICD). Researchers hope this will encourage GPs to take
part in the project and refer any suitable candidates quickly.
Prof
Saad Shakir of the DSRU, says; “This project is vitally important –
not only because it has the potential to save lives in people who may have
a yet undetected risk factor, but also to avert unnecessary panic about
those drugs which are largely safe and beneficial to the majority of the
population.
He
adds; “We do not want to see drugs withdrawn from the market, especially
if there is not a viable alternative for patients. We must remember it’s
not these remedies per se which pose a danger – but simply a small
minority of people who cannot tolerate their effects. We therefore hope
this grant will enable us to identify those people and ensure they are
protected from the risk.”
The
first phase of this project will aim to generate a ‘unique population’
for future investigation, ultimately making drug-induced arrhythmia
predictable and avoidable. The secondary aim of the study will lead to the
development of drugs and therapies which can be tailored to an
individual’s genetic composition.
ENDS
For more media
information or to arrange an interview with one of the key researchers,
please call Jo Hudson at the BHF press office on 020 7487 7178 or 020 7487
7172 or (out of hours) 07764 290381
For details about
how to become involved in the study, please contact: dare@dsru.org
or 023 8040 8615
Notes to
editors:
·
The British Heart Foundation
plays an important role in funding medical research.
It also funds education, both of the public and of health
professionals, and in providing life-saving cardiac equipment and support
for rehabilitation and patient care.
·
The mission of the Drug
Safety Research Unit (DSRU) is to monitor, study and communicate the
safety of medicines. The Unit
undertakes all forms of pharmacoepidemiological investigations with
special interest in Prescription-Event Monitoring.
As an independent medical charity we aim to achieve the highest
possible scientific and ethical standards by putting the interests of
patients first and to work with integrity and fairness with all our
partners.
Additional
information:
·
Drug induced arrhythmia
can cause palpitations (although these can be quite harmless in many
cases), black outs and sudden death. The risk of these side effects is
only apparent when the drug is in the patient’s system in a sufficient
concentration. Once it is removed or eliminated, there is no added risk.
· There are believed to be around 70 OTC and prescription only drugs
which can affect the heart
Other
BHF Press releases
BHF
scientists discover new test for Sudden Adult Death
2nd June 2003
Leading charity asks if
mystery sudden adult deaths (SADS) could be just the ‘tip of the iceberg’
29th April 2003
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