Latest news with #CardiacRiskintheYoung
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Heart screening at 16 'gave me bonus years'
Harry thought it was normal to hear his heartbeat permanently racing in his ears - it was all he had known since he was a child. His parents, though, were worried that his heart was beating too fast - but doctors said it was related to Harry's other medical conditions and was nothing to worry about. But an invitation to a charity screening when he was 16 led to the discovery of a defect in Harry's heart which required surgery. Doctors told Harry when he woke up that without the operation, he could have died. "These are like bonus years, as far as I'm concerned - I'm so, so lucky," said Harry. Harry's heart had two accessory pathways - an abnormal electrical connection bypassing the normal route, which causes electrical signals to travel more quickly than usual. The now 22-year-old from Leigh-on-Sea said hearing how close he had come to death "hit me like a tonne of bricks". "When you're that young, you don't understand your own mortality, you don't think about it at all really," he told the BBC. "It's not one of those things that you want to do - talk to an 18-year-old boy and ask him what songs you want for a funeral, just in case," his father Gary said. "Karl and the Carli Lansley Foundation have saved his life, and saved our family." Harry's condition was picked up at the second screening organised by the Carli Lansley Foundation in 2019. The events offer free heart screenings to people aged 14 to 35 in the Southend area, to detect previously undiagnosed heart conditions. About 2,500 people have now been screened by the charity, with potential heart problems detected in 120 of them. "In most cases, these were conditions they never knew they had," Karl Lansley, founder of the charity, told the BBC. The foundation was set up in memory of Carli Lansley, who died in the middle of the night in 2017 from sudden arrhythmic death syndrome [SADS], aged just 36. Her widower Karl said there was a growing awareness of SADS due to footballers such as Christian Eriksen, Tom Lockyer and Fabrice Muamba suffering heart attacks on the pitch in recent years. The charity has now fundraised and hosted nearly 30 free screening events, administered and run by Cardiac Risk in the Young. At the event, which was attended by the BBC in April, 106 people were screened, five of whom were referred for further investigations. "When we as a charity find out these results, it makes everything we do completely worthwhile," said Mr Lansley, who last year walked 1,000 miles to raise money for the foundation. The screenings for 2025 are fully booked, although dates for 2026 have been announced, alongside defibrillator and CPR training. SADS is when someone dies suddenly and unexpectedly from a cardiac arrest, but the cause of the cardiac arrest cannot be found. About 500 people in the UK are affected by SADS every year. It mainly affects young people aged 14 to 35. A government spokesperson told the BBC that the screening policy should be "based on scientific evidence", and that "the UK National Screening Committee's last review into sudden cardiac death found that current tests are not accurate enough to use on young people with no symptoms". "The UK National Screening Committee has received a proposal to consider cardiac screening in young athletes aged 14-35 and is investigating further," a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care added. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Dad's 1,000-mile walk after wife's sudden death Carli Lansley Foundation Cardiac Risk in the Young
Western Telegraph
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Western Telegraph
Annual Welsh-Irish tractor run comes to Pembrokeshire
The Welsh and Irish Tractor Road Run saw hundreds of tractor owners from both countries travel around the Pembrokeshire countryside on Saturday. The annual event, which started in 2012, alternates being held in Ireland and Wales, and this year set off from Tangiers Quarry, which is operated by Mason Bros. Hundreds of classic and vintage tractors, as well as some newer models, took part in the run. (Image: Martin Cavaney) The run headed to Newgale seafront via Camrose, before travelling around north Pembrokeshire and back to Tangiers. Spectators came out in the sunshine to support the event, getting the chance to view vintage machinery as well as newer models. Hywel Mason, who organises the Welsh side of the event, told the Western Telegraph that a total of 188 tractors took part in this year's run. 'We had a lovely run,' he said. 'We treated them to some nice scenery. Everyone had a nice time and got home safely.' Tractors of all ages, shapes and sizes took part in the run. (Image: Martin Cavaney) Mr Mason worked closely with his Irish counterpart Willie Day to ensure the day ran smoothly. The event raised funds for Withybush Hospital and Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY). Mr Mason added that the quarry was also hosting Dean's Digger Day from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, May 10, which will see a range of vintage and classic construction machinery on display. There will also be fairground attractions and refreshments, and the event will also be raising funds and awareness for Cardiac Risk in the Young. More information can be found by searching Dean's Digger Day on Facebook.
BBC News
30-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Heart screening to detect undiagnosed conditions in young people
Staff and students at a university are being screened for undiagnosed heart University of Gloucestershire has teamed up with the Cardiac Risk in the Young charity (CRY) to carry out electrocardiogram (ECG) tests, which can detect heart muscle disorders and electrical faults of the to the charity, at least 12 seemingly fit and healthy young people aged 35 and under die from undiagnosed heart conditions every week in the Scarle, associate head of the university's school of health and social care, said: "Many heart conditions that affect young people do not present with symptoms until it is too late and they suffer a cardiac arrest." Depending on the results of the ECG, participants will be offered the opportunity to undergo an ultrasound scan of the heart to provide further information and where necessary be referred to their GP for further tests."Since we started holding our heart screening day in 2013, a number of students, staff and local people have been diagnosed with underlying heart problems of which they were previously unaware," Ms Scarle said."We want to work to detect these conditions so that young people can receive the right treatment and support for the conditions and the reduce the number of young people dying from cardiac arrests." The screening is being jointly funded by the Ashley Goodwin Memorial from Gloucester, died suddenly from a previously undiagnosed heart condition in July 2007, the day after his 35th parents, Linda and Geoff, set up a memorial fund in his honour to raise funds and awareness of cardiac screening. Ms Goodwin said their lives "changed forever" when Ashley died having suffered a cardiac arrest."He had taken part in the London Marathon runs of 2005 and 2006 and was in the process of completing his police training course, so it was virtually impossible for us to come to terms with his sudden death when he was simply sitting on a sofa making notes," she said."For every life saved through early diagnosis, so are those of parents, siblings friends and in some cases partners and children, who will not have to endure the feeling of loss that we and hundreds of other families have," she said. CRY said research showed that one in every 300 young people screened by the charity will be identified with a potentially fatal heart condition, if left untreated and unmonitoredChief Executive of CRY, Dr Steven Cox, said: "In 80% of these cases, there will have been no signs or symptoms of a heart defect, which is why CRY believes screening is so vitally important, particularly for those involved in sport and regular, physical activity".
BBC News
17-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Southend heart sessions in teen's memory screen more than 200
More than 200 young people turned up for free heart screening sessions aimed at detecting potential cardiac sessions were organised in Southend-on-Sea by the Jude Harvey Foundation, named after a 19-year-old man who died from an undiagnosed heart condition while on holiday in Ibiza in July father Gary Harvey said the slots at the Civic Centre in Southend-on-Sea were fully booked across Saturday and back the tears, he said witnessing the event had made him "really proud - because that's Jude's legacy". Jude was a trainee hairdresser when he father said the teenager had showed no signs of any cardiac condition and would go to the gym several times a week with his dad."He was perfect - there had never been any reason for him to be checked for this," Mr Harvey said. The family set up the foundation to build awareness, raise funding and offer heart screening to detect cardiac problems in foundation works with the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) to arrange the sessions for 14 to who attend are checked with an ECG (electrocardiogram machine), and if an issue is detected they are offered an echocardiogram to look at the heart and nearby blood vessels and are referred to a the end of Saturday, 16 young people were referred on to their GPs for further Hudson from CRY said: "Like many families we work with, [the Harveys are] seeing past their own grief in order to make sure no other family has to suffer the same experience." Heart conditions in younger people:Every week in the UK, 12 young people (that is, aged 35 and under) die suddenly from a previously undiagnosed heart conditionA total of 80% of these deaths will occur with no prior symptomsAbout 315,000 young people have been tested by CRY since it was set up in 1995This has identified more than 1,000 young people with potentially life-threatening conditionsWhen a young person is identified with a condition they may have to make lifestyle changes, have corrective surgery, take medication or in some cases they will need to have an ICD (internal cardiac defibrillator)Source: Cardiac Risk in the Young (Cry) Cardiologist Dr Dimitra Maritsa, who works with CRY, said: "According to the statistics, 12 young individuals die every week, and this is a screening that is very quick, painless and it is life-saving."Mr Harvey said the family would continue to raise funds for more screening days in the future."We have another two planned in August and we will keep doing this for Jude and others like him." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Brentford's tribute to the late Robert Rowan
This week, BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast have been granted exclusive access to Brentford's training ground. In a recent interview, director Niti Raj explained the reasoning behind naming the training facilities after the late Robert Rowan. "In 2018, Robert Rowan, our friend and colleague, died following a cardiac myopathy at the age of 28, and that was a massive shock to all of us and brought home that many young people die every year not knowing about cardiac health conditions," he said. "We worked with this fantastic charity, Cardiac Risk in the Young, that do cardiac screenings for young people. "They can tell you if there is something you need treatment for or if you need to make lifestyle changes to hopefully avoid these tragedies." Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast for more
