Each year 600 families lose a young loved one to a sudden cardiac arrest.
The families of 12 victims of Young Sudden Cardiac Death (YSCD) a week in the UK are left questioning why and how such a thing could happen. The statistic – over 600 young people a year – comes from the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) who believe the size of the issue is not recognised.
Why are young, healthy and often well trained athletes, dying suddenly because the heart has stopped?
Because of an undiagnosed, often hereditary condition, these otherwise healthy young people can suffer a cardiac arrest.
The UK Statistics Authority state there are 30-40 young cardiac deaths every year, but the charity CRY says they know of around 600 deaths a year. CRY say the vast majority of deaths happen during rest or sleep, so there are unreported statistics. When an athlete dies during competition, people see it and it is reported in the newspapers. But the vast majority of deaths happen during rest or sleep, so they are unreported.
In 2012, Bolton footballer Fabrice Muamba (23 years old) collapsed during an FA Cup tie. His heart stopped beating for 78 minutes, and his life changed forever. He had to retire later that year after being diagnosed with an inherited heart condition. Other sports players reported on were Marc-Vivien Foe, a Cameroon footballer who died during an international match in 2003, Wales rugby league player Danny Jones, 29, died during a game in 2015.
It is mandatory for anyone considering a professional sport career to have heart checks at the age of 16, and then regular check-ups throughout their career. The Football Association carries out 1,400 screenings a year. However not all conditions show up; Muamba was reportedly screened four times during his career before the incident.
More about Heart screening charity CRY
Cardiac Risk in the Young have launched The Heart Screening Awareness Partnership designed to help families. Author and Comedian David Walliams is the Patron of the charity. They fund research into sudden cardiac death and their website is full of current information and helpful resources.
What causes Young Sudden Cardiac Arrest in the young?
Young Sudden Cardiac Arrest is usually either congenital (the person has been born with them) or genetic (abnormally developed) conditions. In 20 per cent of young sudden deaths there are some warning signs, the red flags are exercise-related chest pain or exercise-related passing out but in 80 per cent of cases there are no warning signs. There is also a theory that younger athletes are putting their bodies under strain with over-training when their bodies have not yet reached full physiological maturity.
First Aid for Cardiac Arrest in a young person
You can see how to perform CPR on a child in our video.
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Knowing what to look for and what to do BEFORE something happens is essential and attending a first aid course will give you the knowledge to deal with many emergency incidents. Our courses are structured to give you confidence in dealing with an incident as well as the competence to do good quality first aid. Find out more about our courses on our website.
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