Sudden death syndrome is a
subject always reported emotively
When a young and
apparently fit person dies unexpectedly of heart failure, it is always
shocking and upsetting . Sudden death is defined as unexpected death
occurring as a result of natural causes in which loss of all functions
occurred instantaneously or within six hours of the onset of symptoms or
collapse (Shama et al,British Journal of Sports Medicine.)
Sport blamed
As a number of these
deaths happen to sports people, reports of the death often try to lay the
blame at the door of the sport- the intensity of the training regime,
training when ill, and even drugs.
However, sudden cardiac
death in young people is most frequently unrelated to the sport.
The weakness in the
heart is present and the heart attack could come at any time-even just
running up the stairs.
Inherited problems
Accurate statistics are
not available, but experts estimate that up to eight young people die
suddenly each week in the UK of cardiac abnormalities-sudden death
syndrome or sudden cardiac death. Approximately
80 per cent of all non
