Frequently Asked Questions

Most conditions that cause sudden cardiac death in young individuals are not curable. However, we can identify individuals who are likely to die and reduce the risk of sudden death. Many of these conditions also cause symptoms that can be debilitating and these symptoms can be treated with drug treatment such as beta blockers. There are

We screen several thousand young individuals per year and our current practice is to inform the individuals screened, or his or her parents if they're aged under 16, about the test that was performed and the result. 96% of people that are screened have nothing to worry about and are reassured and this is put in

An ECG can be performed on the National Health Service in individuals who have symptoms suggestive of cardiovascular disease or a family history of premature cardiac disease or sudden cardiac death. If an individual does not have any symptoms or a family history then this sort of investigation is not offered on the National Health Service

Screening for conditions causing sudden cardiac death is not offered on the National Health Service if an individual does not have any symptoms or a family history of heart disease. In March 2005, the 8th National Health Service Framework Chapter in Cardiology was launched which was basically dedicated to arrhythmias and preventing sudden death in young

At CRY, the screening programme involves a health questionnaire and a 12 Lead ECG. The health questionnaire refers to symptoms suggestive of cardiac disease and a family history of premature cardiac disease. There is no question that a General Practitioner can ascertain information required on the health questionnaire. My concerns are about the 12 Lead ECG,

Following a cardiac ECG screening, between four and five percent of individuals will require further investigations. We always take the opportunity of offering these investigations at our CRY Cardiac Centre at King’s College Hospital or at the Olympic Medical Institute. However, we appreciate that some of these screenings take place very far away from London and

If someone is aged over 35 and wishes to have cardiovascular screening for conditions that can predispose to sudden death then that screening would be available on the National Health Service if the individual has symptoms suggestive of cardiovascular disease or a family history of hypercholesterolemia. If they don’t have symptoms or any family history then

There are certain symptoms and certain situations that should be taken seriously in young people. One of the major problems is that young people are perceived as the healthiest segment of our society and this perception is not incorrect. Many people feel that young people aged 20 or less are invincible and are very unlikely to

Screening, using the CRY screening programme, identifies people with conditions that may cause sudden cardiac death – but our screening programme alone does not identify risk. Risk stratification for conditions such as this involves quite detailed subsequent investigation with things like 24 hour ECG, exercise stress testing and sometimes even electrophysiological testing. There are certain situations

Most individuals who have a cardiac problem will be identified with an ECG and an echocardiogram. You're probably aware that the ECG shows electrical problems of the heart and an echocardiogram reveals structural problems of the heart and gives us an idea of the heart size. In some situations, the echocardiogram is not as good as