Who should be screened for sudden death?
THOMAS LYNCH MEN’S HEALTH QUESTION : Sudden death is usually caused by heart disease Q A 15-year-old boy from our sons’ school dropped dead playing football last weekend. Should we get our teenage children who also play football medically assessed? A Sudden death affects 4,000-5,000 people of all ages every year and it is principally due to heart disease. In some cases heart disease may be identified before this happens. Unfortunately, not all events can be prevented or postponed despite current medical technologies and treatments. In young people, sudden death may occur due to heart disease, cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease), abnormal heart rhythm, valve disease, chest trauma, drug misuse, coronary artery disease and congenital heart disease. In 5 per cent of sudden deaths, no structural abnormality is found at postmortem and this is the case in 20-30 per cent of sudden deaths in people under 35 years. To prevent sudden cardiac death, screening of first degree relatives is advised
