Young Sudden Cardiac Death
Sudden Cardiac Death or Young Sudden Cardiac Death are umbrella terms used for the many different causes of cardiac arrest in young people, in many cases of a sudden cardiac death, the condition that caused the cardiac arrest is an inherited heart condition and the person’s immediate family should be referred to a specialist centre for assessment testing to safeguard them. Cardiac Risk in the Young provides medical information on the most common causes of unexpected sudden cardiac death in the young (under 35).
‘Sudden Cardiac Death is defined as an event that is non-traumatic, non-violent, unexpected, and resulting from sudden cardiac arrest within six hours of previously witnessed normal health.’ (Sharma et al, 1997. Br J Sports Med)
These conditions include thickening or abnormal structure of the heart muscle and irregularities of the electrical impulses that upset the natural rhythm of the heart.
Cardiac Risk in the Young raises awareness of the symptoms of cardiac abnormalities and conditions which can lead to sudden cardiac death while emphasising the considerable amount that can be done to help young people who have been diagnosed as having a cardiac abnormality. CRY is also supporting medical research into sudden cardiac death and sudden death syndrome and offering counsel and support to families affected by sudden cardiac death. CRY brings ECG Testing and Cardiac Screening events to the general public to detect cardiac abnormalities and supply’s much needed medical equipment to clinics around the UK in order to detect cardiac abnormalities and prevent sudden cardiac death
Conditions which can lead to sudden cardiac death:
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC)
Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)
Restrictive Cardiomyopathy (RCM)
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
Ion Channelopathies (Long QT, Brugada, Lev-Lenegre’s….)
Wolff (Wolfe) Parkinson White Syndrome (WPW)
Coronary Artery Anomalies (CAAs)
Other Cardiac Conditions – Endocardial Fibroelastosis (EFE), Tachycardia, Antibiotic Prophylaxis, Churg-Strauss Syndrome, Right Bundle Branch Block (RBBB)