Word On Cardiac Risk In The Young

we are grateful to the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) for their contribution to our on-air report, which you can hear again via the audioplayer below.    

Since its formation in 1995  (CRY) has been working to reduce the frequency of young sudden cardiac death (YSCD). Alongside raising awareness CRY promotes and develops heart screening programmes and funds medical research. CRY funds fast track referral, screening and cardiac pathology services at leading UK hospitals. The charity also supports young people diagnosed with potentially life-threatening cardiac conditions and offers bereavement support to families affected by YSCD. 

Sudden death syndrome (SDS) is an umbrella term used for the many different causes of cardiac arrest in young people. CRY provides medical information on the most common causes of unexpected sudden cardiac death – sometimes referred to as SADS – in the young (under 35) Click here to download a PDF of their medical booklet.

Every week in the UK, around 12 young people (under the age of 35) die suddenly from a previously undiagnosed heart condition. 80% of these deaths will occur with no prior symptoms.

Screening in the community: www.testmyheart.org.uk

CRY’s screening programme is overseen by charity’s Consultant Cardiologist, Professor Sanjay Sharma (St George’s, University of London), one of the world’s leading experts inherited heart conditions and sports cardiology. CRY now tests around 32,000 young people across the UK every year (aged 14-35). Since the CRY Screening Programme was first launched, over 225,000 young people have been tested.

The CRY Screening Programme was suspended for 15 months due to lockdown restrictions imposed by the Government in response to COVID-19 pandemic. Services resumed on June 28 2021 – although the charity continues to face a backlog of postponed appointments. CRY’s screening team is also working hard to tackle a waiting list of young people who have registered interest which (at one point in Summer 2021) stood at 50,000 young people.

One in every 300 of the young people that CRY tests, will be identified with a potentially life- threatening condition.

Regional, community screenings are usually funded by families who have been affected by a young sudden cardiac death, so there is no charge to the individual when CRY’s mobile cardiac screening service is bought to a local school, sports club or community venue.

CRY’s screening team use a very a simple and non-invasive way of diagnosing most cardiac abnormalities. It is a quick, painless, non-invasive and affordable procedure called an electrocardiogram (ECG). If a young person is found to have an abnormality, CRY will conduct the further follow up investigation (using an echocardiogram / ultrasound) on the same day for no additional charges (privately, these tests could cost several hundred pounds)

Listen to this weeks radio report