New scan could identify people at risk of sudden cardiac death

Following research undertaken at Oxford University, scientists say they may have identified a new scan technique able to detect people at risk of cardiac arrest through hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

The researchers used microscopic imaging to spot the structural changes in the heart which cause the condition in living patients.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young people and is very difficult to detect as many people with the condition have little or no warning signs. It is an inherited condition and relatively common, affecting one in 500 in the UK.

The scientists involved in the research focused on identifying those at risk of sudden death, by looking for abnormal patterns in the heart, which could result in potentially lethal heart rhythms.

Once the condition is identified, a small device can be implanted, to kick-start their heart into beating again when an abnormal heart rhythm is detected.

Author of the study Dr Rina Ariga, said “We’re hopeful that this new scan will improve the way we identify high-risk patients, so that they can receive an implantable cardioverter defibrillator early to prevent sudden death.

“We now need to work on making this scan shorter and faster for patients so that we can test its utility in a large multi-centre study.”

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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