Breakthrough in unravelling the causes of sudden cardiac death in young people

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People who take 1, 3 fatty acids derived from fish oil lower their risk of sudden cardiac death…

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Scientists at the Wales Heart Research Institute, Cardiff University have made a breakthrough in our understanding of the causes of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young people.

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One expert thinks these findings show the need for expanding CPR training and the availability of AEDs in schools. "It is estimated that over 350, 000 individuals die of sudden cardiac arrest in the U.S. each year, " said Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles. "Improved cardiac arrest recognition and emergency activation, early CPR, and early defibrillation, including the use of AEDs, can significantly increase the chances of surviving sudden cardiac arrest."

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This research has been funded by the British Heart Foundation.

Could this be where emotions merge with the body's physiology and ultimately affect health Maybe, says Stephen Oppenheimer, M.D., assistant professor of neurology and cardiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. running series of experiments on rats, Dr. Oppenheimer determined that stimulating the insular cortex for hours at a time causes damage to the heart muscle that is strikingly similar to that found in people who succumb to sudden cardiac death.

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Extensive scientific studies, both animal and human, have shown that supplementing the diet with fish and their oils has a beneficial effect on the heart, particularly in preventing cardiac arrhythmias (Nair SS et al 1997). 3 fatty acids in fish oils appear to stabilize the electrical activity of the heart muscle, reducing susceptibility even to ventricular arrhythmias and ultimately decreasing the risk of sudden cardiac death (Lee KW et al 2003; Kang JX et al 2000).

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SCD is a major cause of mortality worldwide, and when it occurs in young children and adolescents is particularly devastating. Daniel Yorath, son of former Wales soccer team manager, Terry, is amongst those to have suffered sudden cardiac death. accommodation holiday wales
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Recent advances have shown that the genetic mutations in the heart's calcium release channels (known as ryanodine receptors) destroy the ability of the channels to work properly following stress or exercise. These channels released too much calcium, possibly explaining how in affected young people, the normal heart signalling is severely disrupted and could lead to fatally high heart rates (tachycardia) and a loss of co-ordinated heart rhythm (arrhythmia). catering holiday self wales
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Despite these advances, pinpointing the changes that occur within the mutant channel molecules that cause the increase in calcium release remained elusive. These new insights show that normal channels open and close in a tightly regulated fashion, but that mutations make the activated channels 'jittery' and prevent them from closing properly. family holiday wales
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The research is published online in Circulation Research 8 December 2005 and in print 6 January 2006. adventure holiday wales
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Dr Christopher George, who led the research explained: cottage holiday wales
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"This is crucial new evidence that mutation-linked abnormalities in cardiac calcium release may arise from defects in the channel structure. Although there is a long way to go, this finding gives us vital clues that the precise stabilisation of these channels may represent the best way to prevent this catastrophic disease in people containing this faulty gene." holiday wales
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Work is already underway to develop a new therapeutic approach which is hoped will eventually restore proper channel closure and may help prevent SCD in susceptible individuals. caravan holiday in wales

Cardiff University