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The Government is to set
up a special advisory group to help tackle sudden cardiac death in young
people and improve the services for people who suffer from irregular
heartbeats and similar conditions.
An estimated 400 apparently healthy young people die each year from sudden
adult cardiac death syndrome and a further 700,000 people in the UK suffer
from arrhythmia, a disturbance in the heart’s rhythm which can lead to
anything from minor health inconvenience to death.
Public health minister Melanie Johnson said the advisory group, to be
headed by National Clinical Director for heart disease Dr Roger Boyle,
would help raise awareness of the conditions and advise the Health
Department on future policy.
It could also lead to a new national framework group setting out advice
for doctors on standards and models of care for such conditions.
Voluntary and professional organisations, including Cardiac Risk in the
Young (CRY) and the British Cardiac Society, will be invited to join, Miss
Johnson said.
She told MPs: “It is devastating for families when a young, apparently
healthy person dies suddenly without warning.
“The majority of people with the underlying conditions do not have any
symptoms for all or most of their life. However, the condition can lead to sudden and unexpected
death, often in early adulthood.
“It’s
vital that we attempt to understand this condition further.
The new group that I’m announcing will help both raise awareness
and drive future policy.”
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