A heart screening clinic for teenagers and young adults will be held later this month at Colchester General Hospital.
Its aim is to detect previously undiagnosed heart conditions which, if left untreated, can lead to sudden cardiac death (SCD) in apparently fit and active young people.
The clinic on Saturday 22 July is a joint initiative between Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Colchester General Hospital, and the national charity CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young), which believes many young deaths could be avoided if basic cardiac screening was more widely available. It will start at 9am and the last appointment is expected to be at about 2pm.
Heart screening clinics for people between the ages of 14 and 35 have been held regularly at the hospital since May 2004. Since then, almost 400 people have been screened and, as a consequence, about 10-15 of them recalled for further checks. Of these, about 4-5 have been found to have relatively minor abnormalities which have been successfully treated with medication.
Most of the people who have attended have been from Essex but some have come from as far away as London and Ken. For the hugely subsidised cost of £35, each teenager or young adult who is screened has an electrocardiogram (ECG), which takes only 10 minutes and involves taping electrical leads from a machine to chest, legs and arms, and making a record of the heart's activity. It is a totally pain-free procedure.
The ECG and a questionnaire filled in by everyone who is screened are sent to cardiologists in London who have particular expertise in the field of SCD. In cases of serious abnormalities it might be possible to take measures, such as surgery or the fitting of a specialised pacemaker, to reduce the likelihood of SCD.
Some SCDs are triggered by physical exertion, particularly in those who play high-level sport. Others may experience palpitations, fainting or breathlessness, but some show no symptoms at all.
CRY says many young people at risk – for example, those with a family history of sudden death or showing warning signs, are still not being referred for tests – often being dismissed as "too young" to have heart problems.
Exact figures on how many young people die as a result of an unexpected cardiac death are unclear, but it has been estimated eight people under the age of 35 die in such circumstances each week.
In about on in 20 cases, no recognised cause can be found – even after a post-mortem examination. This is then called Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS).
Anyone wanting to know more or to book an appointment should phone Caroline Gard on 01255 673598. Please leave a brief message with a contact number and Mrs Gard will return your call – please do not contact Colchester General Hospital direct or just turn up on 22 July.
