BRENTFORD FC LAUNCH £200,000 FUNDRAISING DRIVE FOR GROUND-BREAKING CARDIAC RESEARCH
The world-first research study will be led by Dr Sabiha Gati, Consultant Cardiologist at Royal Brompton Hospital. It is aiming to help identify young people aged 14-35 who may be vulnerable to young sudden cardiac death (YSCD). Despite there being 12 deaths a week due to YSCD in the UK, the prevalence of this issue in apparently healthy, young people and athletes is often misunderstood and misrepresented.
Dr Gati has observed that there is some evidence that reduced size electrical ‘traces’ of the heart on an electrocardiogram (ECG) may be associated with scarring in the heart muscle, leading to a higher risk of YSCD. The study will seek to identify the prevalence and significance of smaller ECG traces in athletes and non-athletes aged 14-35 years old, which in turn may help to identify young vulnerable individuals at risk of YSCD. The results will create new recommendations and enable more accurate interventions and advice to mitigate YSCD.
The study will be supported by Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), an organisation that has worked with Brentford FC for many years, and continues to operate screening days at the club (www.testmyheart.org.uk). Royal Brompton will also collaborate with St George’s Hospital’s Sports Cardiology Unit.
