Diagnostic testing for Sudden death syndrome in young adults


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An American team has come up with a test that can provide an early diagnosis of one of the major causes of sudden death in young adults, which tends to occur most in those who enjoy sport.

Their first results appear promising but the procedure, which requires a cardiac biopsy, remains a rather unwieldy method…

But SDS is a serious problem. This condition affects one person in every 5,000 worldwide and is therefore far from being a rare occurrence.

It usually occurs in young people and very often without any warning sign. The first and only expression of the problem is the sudden death itself. Which is why the development of a diagnostic test is so important.

The researchers have shown that in at-risk individuals there is a heavily reduced signal for a particular protein. They believe that this reduction could be a marker for the condition.

This test therefore seems a promising way of identifying individuals who may be at risk of sudden death so that preventive measures can then by taken, such as implanting a defibrillator.

The problem, and it’s not an insignificant one, is that this test requires a cardiac biopsy, in other words, a relatively invasive surgical procedure.

Other potential candidates for diagnostic testing are young people with a cardiac rhythm problem and whose diagnosis is unclear. Or those with a family history of sudden death syndrome.

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