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Cardiac Risk In The Youth
Mobile Cardiac Screening Facility Visits Strabane
20th February 2008
Strabane District Council this week hosted a unique community-testing programme aimed at detecting and raising awareness of Cardiac Risk in the Young. As part of the ongoing development of sport and physical activity in the district, Strabane District Council in partnership with CRY -- UK (cardiac risk in the young) organised for a mobile Screening Unit to visit Riversdale and Derg Valley Leisure Centres to screen in excess of 300 local athletes for any underlying heart defects.
Systematic Screening programmes are needed to establish the prevalence of such diseases in the young. The aim of this screening programme was to detect a disease, or it’s risk factors and put in place treatment and lifestyle changes that will minimise the risk of Sudden Cardiac Death.
The vast majority of deaths are due to congenital malformations of the heart or inherited structural disorders. There are between 8-10 young sudden cardiac deaths per week in the UK and many of the casual disorders could be recognised during life and sudden death prevented.
Consequently, Strabane District Council organised this initiative in order to raise awareness of these conditions. Chairman of the Council Cllr Gerard Foley stated, “Our aim is to raise awareness of undetected cardiac abnormalities in young, apparently healthy individuals and to raise awareness of issues surrounding cardiac risk in the young. Once detected, preventative or therapeutic interventions can be implemented earlier and the condition can be treated when it is less advanced”.
Cllr Foley went on to add “Sudden Cardiac Death in the young is an issue, which has affected many people within our district in recent months, particularly amongst the sporting fraternity. It is important however, to realise exercise is not bad for you, but can act as a trigger for an event if the individual already has an underlying heart condition”.
