Campaign to find genes behind young heart disease
Monday May 12th, 2014
A major campaign to pinpoint more genes responsible for inherited heart conditions is launched today.
Family
studies suggest that many of the heart conditions that affect young adults
and children are inherited.
But campaigners say many of the genes responsible have not been identified.
The British Heart Foundation project follows research conducted in London, UK, and reported to a European conference last week showing a simple screening programme could identify many people with hidden heart conditions.
The foundation says up to 380,000 could be living with genes that place them at risk of sudden death from heart disease.
About 600 people a year in the UK die under the age of 35 from sudden cardiac death.
Helen, aged 38, a mother from Cornwall, UK, discovered she had a genetic fault when she was pregnant - and then discovered that her oldest daughter had the same problem.
She said: "When I collapsed on a family day out, our lives changed forever. Concerned doctors tested me for a gene which causes an inherited heart condition. I tested positive.
"Just as I was getting to grips with what this would mean for me, I was told there was a 50:50 chance my daughters could have the gene too.
"When tests showed Isobelle had the gene, I worried what the future would hold for her. But she is a little fighter - she takes beta blockers as syrup every day and goes into hospital for ECG testing."
Foundation medical director Professor Peter Weissberg said: "We urgently need to accelerate research into inherited heart conditions.
"Over recent years researchers have made great strides in identifying some of the genes that cause inherited heart conditions. A genetic test in a child of an affected parent can save their life. More research is now urgently needed to identify all the genes responsible for these deadly disorders.
"Pinpointing genes which cause inherited heart conditions will allow affected children to be protected and, in the long term, will lead to new treatments to overcome the effects of the faulty gene."
Tags: Genetics | Heart Health | Infancy to Adolescence | UK News
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