An MP from the Labour party is advocating for increased screenings to safeguard individuals with heart conditions, following a tragic incident involving her niece’s partner.
Amanda Hack is pushing for the implementation of a nationwide screening initiative due to the alarming statistic of 12 young individuals under the age of 35 dying each week in the UK from undiagnosed heart conditions. Surprisingly, 80% of these fatalities occur without any preceding symptoms.
This initiative gained momentum after the sudden passing of Isabella Wright’s partner in his sleep, an event that deeply affected Ms. Hack, the Member of Parliament for North West Leicestershire. Reflecting on the tragedy, she emphasized the need for preventive measures such as ECG and Echocardiogram screenings to avert such untimely deaths.
Drawing inspiration from Italy’s approach, where a national screening program for young athletes has significantly reduced sudden cardiac deaths by 90%, Ms. Hack highlighted the potential benefits of a similar system in the UK.
Supporting Ms. Hack’s initiative, Suzanne Rowan from the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) shared her personal experience of losing her husband to cardiomyopathy failure in 2018. Rowan stressed the importance of testing individuals, particularly students, athletes, and those with a family history of heart conditions, to prevent future tragedies.
CRY, established in 1995, has conducted heart screenings for approximately 343,000 young people. Dr. Steven Cox, the CEO of CRY, lamented the reliance on bereaved families to fund such screenings in the absence of a national program, highlighting the distressing reality faced by families who support these initiatives.
In response to the advocacy efforts, a spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care expressed condolences to the family of Robert Rowan, emphasizing ongoing evaluations by the UK National Screening Committee regarding the screening for risks of sudden cardiac death, with plans for a public consultation in the future.
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