NEW TEST REVEALS HIDDEN HEART DEFECTS
ABREAKTHROUGH screening can quickly and accurately pinpoint genetic mutations linked to sudden cardiac arrest, which kills nine out of ten people stricken with the condition, experts say.
Researchers at Australia’s Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute call their new test a giant step forward and predict it will save lives!
“It’s primarily young people with that die from these inherited heart disorders,” says Professor Jamie Vandenberg, who led the scientific team. Colleague Dr. Chai-Ann Ng adds, “If you identify those at risk, there are lifestyle changes people can make, as well as taking beta-blockers or even using a defibrillator. “All of us have a vast array of genetic variants, but we have not always been able to pinpoint if they are dangerous or not. We can now remove that uncertainty, which is a big development.” Cardiac arrest differs from a heart attack. In cardiac arrest, the heart unexpectedly stops beating, while heart attacks are triggered by a blockage of blood flow.
American Heart Association, more than 350,000 people annually experience out-ofhospital cardiac arrest — and only 10 percent survive! But the Australian team says their electrical test can screen hundreds of gene mutations and identify those connected to certain conditions known to trigger cardiac arrest.
The researchers investigated variants in genes that encode ion channels, proteins which control electrical signals between cells. They explain the majority of genetic disorders associated with elevated odds of sudden cardiac arrest are caused by these mutations. Vandenberg says the team hopes to catalogue all potential gene mutations related to cardiac arrest within five years and give physicians a valuable diagnostic tool.
“This database will reduce cardiac arrests and deaths caused by genetic disorders,” he says.