Cardiac Risk in the Young: Medical Information

It can be hard to believe that someone who appears young and fit may be at risk from heart problems. Yet every week in the UK at least 12 apparently healthy young people die of undiagnosed heart conditions.

An unexplained sudden death is frequently recorded by the coroner as due to 'natural causes'. Experts believe that most of these deaths are due to sudden death syndrome (SDS). Unexplained cardiac death in young people under the age of 35 frequently involves thickening or abnormal structure of the heart muscle and irregularities of the electrical impulses that upset the natural rhythm of the heart.

CRY provides medical information on the most common conditions that can cause young sudden cardiac death (YSCD) including the following: cardiomyopathies; myocarditis; coronary artery anomalies; ion channelopathies such as long QT (LQT) and Brugada syndrome, and Wolff (Wolfe) Parkinson White syndrome.

The majority of young sudden deaths are due to inherited disorders. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common of these conditions. One in 500 people are known to have HCM alone.

Sporty youngsters stress their heart the most. If they have an underlying cardiac abnormality they are more likely to be at risk. CRY recommends that all first-degree relatives should be referred by their GP to a specialist cardiologist where there have been other young sudden deaths in the family or when a young person is experiencing the following symptoms: chest pain (exercise-related), breathlessness, palpitations, dizziness or fainting.

Sport itself does not lead to cardiac arrest but can trigger a sudden death by aggravating an undetected abnormality.

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommend cardiac screening for any young person taking part in competitive sport. In countries such as Italy, screening participants in representative sports is mandatory. In some professions cardiac testing is also required.

Furthermore, medications that affect the heart must be avoided if you have an underlying cardiac condition.

A simple way to diagnose most of these cardiac abnormalities is a quick, painless and affordable procedure called an electrocardiogram (ECG).

This test is used to record the electrical activity of your heart. If a more detailed image is required, an ultrasound scan of the heart, known as an echocardiogram (ECHO), can be taken.

An ECG machine picks up and records the electrical signals that make your heart beat. A printout of your heart's electrical activity can then be taken for evaluation by our cardiologists.

An echocardiogram is a similar form of ultrasound to that used in pregnancy, in which high frequency sound waves are passed through the skin.