Seven years ago Lisa Jane Browne died suddenly, and inexplicably, at the age of 27.  According to the pathologist who examined her, she should still have been alive.  Thanks to the tenacity of her mother, Doreen Harley, we now know Miss Browne probably died as a result of Long QT Syndrome; a disorder affecting the rhythm of the heart. 

When the self-help group CRY was established a decade ago for the families of those who had died from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome, its founder was told there were “only one of two” cases a year.  Now there are 400 – a reflection of better medical understanding and recognition of the problem . 

Those scientific advances mean that other members of Doreen Harley’s family have also been diagnosed with the same condition.  Indeed, her other daughter, Rachel, survived an attack similar to the one which killed Lisa Jane, because she had by then received preventative treatment. 

Time and again scientific advances save lives.  Yet we must be eternally vigilant against apparently flawed science. 

The drug Vioxx was widely prescribed as a painkiller for arthritis sufferers, with an estimated 120 million users worldwide, including 400,000 in this country.  It has been withdrawn after research found that it increased the risk of heart attacks and strokes in some patients. 

Families who believe the drug was responsible for the death or ill-health of a loved one are already suing manufacturer Merck on both sides of the Atlantic. 

In the meantime science marches on, seeking cures for all our ills.  While scientists may be driven by altruism, companies stand to make billions from successful medicines.  That pursuit of profit from science is one that raises doubts in the minds of consumers.  Are the existing checks rigorous enough before medicines are allowed into production by manufacturers? 

If it were not for the US based regulator spotting these potentially fatal side-effects, Vioxx would still be available on prescription today in Britain and some, it would seem would be wondering why they had suddenly lost a loved one.