Young people with a particular family history are being urged to get their hearts screened even if they are fit and healthy, as they could be at risk of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome.
Sudden Adult Death Syndrome, or Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS), is an “umbrella term to describe unexpected deaths in young people”, usually under 40, when a post-mortem can find no obvious cause of death, according to the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).
While national figures are not available, Melbourne’s Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute is developing the country’s first SADS registry, which it hopes to eventually roll out across the country.
“In our registry, there are approximately 750 cases per year of people aged under 50 in Victoria suddenly having their heart stop (a cardiac arrest),” a spokeswoman said. “Of these, approximately 100 young people per year will have no cause found even after extensive investigations such as a full autopsy (the SADS phenomenon).”
R&I – FS
John Keefe