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MP Fights for Heart Screening After Loss
10 Jan
Summary
- 12 young people die weekly from undiagnosed heart conditions in the UK.
- 80% of these sudden cardiac deaths occur without prior symptoms.
- Italy reduced athlete deaths by 90% with a national screening program.
Labour MP Amanda Hack is campaigning for a national screening program to prevent sudden cardiac deaths among young people. This initiative is driven by personal tragedy, as her niece lost her partner to an undiagnosed heart condition a couple of years ago. Hack emphasizes that these deaths, which claim 12 lives weekly in the UK, often occur without any prior symptoms, leaving families devastated.
She points to Italy's successful implementation of mandatory screening for young athletes, which has reportedly reduced sudden cardiac deaths by 90%. Suzanne Rowan, from the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), supports this call, having lost her husband to cardiomyopathy failure in 2018. CRY has screened over 343,000 young people since 1995.
The Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged the issue, stating that the UK National Screening Committee is examining evidence for screening and will launch a public consultation. The calls for action highlight the emotional and societal impact of these preventable deaths and the urgent need for proactive measures.
