Deadly heart flaws diagnosed too late

MANY patients with potentially deadly inherited heart conditions are diagnosed only after a cardiac arrest, research shows.

One in five of those with a condition finds out after the death of a family member, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) said.

The charity estimates about 620,000 Britons have a faulty gene, putting them at a particularly high risk of heart disease or dying suddenly at a young age.

Each child of someone with an inherited heart condition has a 50 per cent chance of inheriting the same faulty gene – but the majority remain undiagnosed.

It is also estimated that at least 12 under-35s die from an undiagnosed heart condition every week in the UK. The BHF is urging people to speak to relatives about any early sudden deaths or premature heart disease that might have been caused by an inherited heart condition. Anyone with a family history of unexplained deaths should contact their GP.

Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, of the BHF, said: ‘It is extremely important that family members are offered genetic testing when there’s a history of sudden death or premature heart disease in a family. All too often, people aren’t familiar with their family history, or they aren’t aware that a sudden death might be linked to an underlying heart condition.’