The government should fund routine cardiac screening for high-risk people under the age of 35, the Society of Radiographers will say this week.
At the Annual Delegates’ Conference (ADC), held in London this week, the SoR will highlight the need to lobby the government and healthcare commissioners to fund routine cardiac screening for high-risk individuals under the age of 35.
Every week, 12 people under the age of 35 die from sudden cardiac death, linked to undiagnosed heart conditions which are preventable through early detection and screening.
Radiographers play a vital role in diagnosing and managing cardiac conditions, particularly those specialising in cardiac imaging.
Motions to be heard at ADC this week will highlight the importance of support campaigns to raise awareness of sudden cardiac death in young people, focusing on the importance of cardiac screening and early detection.
The importance of raising awareness
Sudden cardiac death is the sudden and unexpected death of a person caused by a problem with their heart. In people under 39, this is often a result of a thickening of the heart muscle or an electrical problem with the heart.
The UK National Screening Committee does not currently recommend screening for this condition.
However, SoR members will state at ADC: “Campaigns raising awareness of sudden cardiac death and increasing access to cardiac screening can save lives.”
This is echoed by Steven Cox, chief executive of the campaigning charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), who supports the SoR’s call for routine screening.
“We know that awareness and early detection are key to preventing young sudden cardiac deaths,” he said. “Routine cardiac screening, particularly for those at higher risk, can and does save lives.
“We strongly support this initiative, promoting greater access to cardiac imaging services and raising public awareness – helping to ensure that young people are given the best chance of early diagnosis and appropriate management.”
Screening can save lives
Hilary Nicholls, whose 20-year-old daughter Clarissa collapsed and died from an undiagnosed arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy in May 2023, said: “The screening work that specialist radiographers undertake is critical for early diagnosis and preventing the loss of young lives.
“The UK leads on setting international guidelines for screening in elite athletes, and we absolutely owe it to our young people to broaden these protections to amateur and grassroots athletes. We know that sport and exercise can exacerbate an underlying condition for which 80 per cent of people have no symptoms.
“This is about empowering all young people using tools that already exist, and giving them a choice to live their lives safely.”
SoR members will argue that such opportunities should be much more widely available: “Radiographers, as key healthcare professionals, should advocate for better education and access to imaging services for young people at risk of cardiac conditions.
“Early detection through imaging techniques such as echocardiography, cardiac MRI and CT can be instrumental in reducing preventable deaths.”