Over 5000 people die suddenly in Ireland each year, of whom 60 to 80 are young people (under 35 years). These figures were highlighted at the official opening today (11 June 2007) of a dedicated new treatment centre, The Centre for Cardiovascular Risk in Younger Persons, which will operate from the Adelaide and Meath Hospital [Tallaght Hospital], with a clinic in St James’ Hospital.
Cardiac disease in young people (under 35 years of age) is mostly due to inherited heart disease or birth defects (congenital heart disease). A conservative estimate is that over 10,000 people in Ireland carry genes for inherited heart disease, more often than not unknowingly. While the facilities to diagnose coronary heart disease are available in most hospitals, up to now, services for screening and supporting relatives of those who died suddenly have not been readily available.
This innovative new Centre is a collaboration between two Trinity College Dublin Teaching Hospitals (the Adelaide and Meath Hospitals at Tallaght and St James’ Hospital). The Medical Committee comprises senior Consultants from St Vincent’s Hospital, Beaumont Hospital and the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast in addition to those from Tallaght and St James. It is supported by the charity CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) which provides information, education, and Counseling. CRY is actively engaged in fundraising to support the running of the Centre. CRY was established in 2002 by parents who had experienced the effects of sudden death and were troubled by the lack of systematic medical and emotional support. Funding is also being provided by individual benefactors. The Centre was developed by Dr David Mulcahy and Professor Ian Graham and their colleagues to provide a medical facility for evaluating at-risk individuals and families, particularly young people.
The Centre opened in January 2007 and over 100 people have already been evaluated since then.
Awareness of Young People At-Risk
Awareness of sudden cardiac death has increased in the last few years due to the sudden deaths of high-profile athletes. Most remember the death on live television of the Cameroonian footballer Marc-Vivien Foe during an international soccer match. Closer to home the deaths of Cormac McAnallen, the Tyrone GAA Football Captain, and John McCall, an Irish Under-19 Rugby Union player, within weeks of each other in March 2004, heightened awareness here and resulted in the convening of a Task-Force on Sudden Cardiac Death (Chaired by Dr Brian Maurer, report published March 2006).
Although sudden cardiac death can affect elite athletes, and, while taking part in high-intensity sports may increase risk in those affected, most young people die unexpectedly during routine activities or even sleep. The profiles of 42 young Irish sudden death victims on the McAnallen Trust website provide sobering confirmation of this.
Marie Greene, a founder of CRY in Ireland, who lost her son Peter to sudden cardiac death in 1996, said that the devastation felt by relatives is made worse by the feeling that it needn’t have happened.
“You feel that if only there had been a warning or some sign of illness, then something could have been done. We had nowhere to turn to, few explanations and little in the way of professional counselling or support. Heart problems can be treated, so this clinic which we have all worked so hard to set-up will prevent other families suffering as we did.”
Dr Deirdre Ward, who runs the Centre for Cardiovascular Risk in Tallaght, says that symptoms of inherited cardiac disease are unlikely to develop before adolescence.
“Young people may not experience any disabling symptoms at all, although some have shortness of breath and chest discomfort which restricts their mobility. Others get palpitations, dizziness or blackouts, and the most devastating complication of all is sudden death..”
Aims of the Centre for Cardiovascular Risk
The Centre aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of those diagnosed with, or at risk from, cardiovascular disease at a young age. This includes relatives of victims of sudden cardiac death where the cause may be inherited. These families will be seen as a priority.
Patients diagnosed with potentially inherited cardiovascular diseases, such as cardiomyopathies (heart muscle diseases), rhythm disorders, Marfan’s syndrome and premature coronary disease, will also be seen, and their relatives will be evaluated where appropriate. The Centre will also screen young patients with symptoms suggestive of cardiac disease, such as unexplained blackout, especially if recurrent or linked to exertion. The CRY charity will provide counselling and support on-site and partnerships have been developed with consultants in other hospitals to provide specialist services also.
Clinics are currently running twice a week in Tallaght Hospital, and from this month (June 2007) there is also a clinic in St James’ Hospital. Access to the Centre is via referral from a local consultant or General Practitioner, often via the CRY charity. People can be referred from anywhere in the country and there is no charge to the patient, regardless of income or insurance. While focusing primarily on adolescents and young adults, there is no upper age limit for referral to the Centre.
There are two Co-Directors of the new Centre for Cardiovascular Risk, Dr Ross Murphy in St James’ Hospital, and Dr Deirdre Ward in Tallaght. Both these cardiologists have a special interest in the area and spent several years with Professor Bill McKenna and his team in London who are world-recognised experts in this field. In addition to the medical staff there is a clinical nurse specialist, a genetics counsellor and cardiac technicians.
For Further Information: Please contact Caroline Moody @ Caroline Moody Communications on 0872 652 485.
Additional Information: Heart Disease in Ireland
Cardiovascular disease causes 40% of all deaths in this country. The majority of these deaths are due to complications from coronary heart disease (hardening of the arteries), the most common of which is heart attack. Coronary heart disease usually results from multiple factors including genetic and lifestyle factors, and is more common with increasing age, but it can affect people in their twenties and thirties
Treatment and prevention of complications is possible in most people once cardiovascular disease is identified. Early identification can significantly reduce disease progression, although, generally, complete cure is not possible. Most treatments involve medication and lifestyle changes, although operations can be needed for advanced heart disease. Even those identified as at risk of sudden death can be protected by implanting an internal cardioverter defibrillator (ICD or ’shock-box’).
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