TEEN SCREEN AMERICA
THE CAUSES
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“It happened to me. It can happen to you. I thought it was something I'd only see on TV.”

Mother of Ryan Boslet who died of HCM age 17

peace of mind one heart at a time

For Parents

Frequently Asked Questions

Why have my child screened?

Most parents perceive their child as perfectly healthy. However, most instances of sudden cardiac death in young individuals occur without warning and without previously known symptoms. The purpose of the screening is to detect potentially deadly heart conditions that in most cases a normal physical exam would miss.

Can our family physician conduct this screening as part of a regular routine physical examination?

Most doctors can only order EKG and Echocardiogram tests if a patient is experiencing symptoms a preventive measure. Most insurance providers will not cover the cost of "preventive" screenings in apparently healthy people.

How many young people die from sudden cardiac death?

The numbers vary on sudden cardiac death in young people. Some sources indicate that hundreds of young people in the country lose their lives each year due to sudden cardiac death. This figure may be extremely low, as many instances go undocumented.

What are the best ways to diagnose a heart problem?

The best tools for detection of heart problems in young people are the Electrocardiogram and Echocardiogram.

Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG)

The ECG is a device that measures the electrical activity of the heart. By attaching a set of 12 wire leads to the body, an electrical current is received and translated into a report that is printed and reviewed by a doctor. It is a fast, simple and painless exam that is used to detect various heart abnormalities. In Italy, ECG testing has become mandatory, and that country found the rate of sudden cardiac deaths in young athletes fell by nearly 90 percent over a 25-year period.

What types of problems can ECG screening detect? Echocardiogram (Echo)

Echocardiography is an ultrasound of the heart. This is a painless, noninvasive diagnostic test performed by a trained sonographer. The instrument used to transmit the high-frequency sound waves is called a transducer, which is placed on your ribs near the breast bone and directed toward the heart. The transducer picks up the echoes of the sound waves and transmits them as electrical impulses. The echocardiography machine converts these impulses into moving pictures of the heart which is then interpreted by the cardiologist. The moving pictures allow the doctor to assess the thickness, size, and function of the organ. In the screening environment this test takes just ten minutes.

What types of problems can Echo screening detect? What is the number one cause of sudden cardiac death in young people?

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the number on cause of sudden death in young people under the age of 30. HCM affects as many as 1 in 500 people. HCM is a thickening of part of the heart muscle. As the heart muscle thickens, it also becomes stiffer, In some cases the thicker muscle blocks part of the blood flow out of the heart. As a result, HCM can cause fast arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) and sudden cardiac death.

In most cases, HCM is inherited from parents or caused by a problem that developed with a gene before birth. In either situation, people with HCM can pass the gene for HCM on to their children. Symptoms of HCM vary, but can include chest pain, dizziness, or passing out.

People of any age can have Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. For young people, unfortunately, HCM often causes sudden cardiac death before they even know they have it.

Did you know?

8 out of 1000 births each year will have a heart defect.

300,000 youths under age 21 have a congenital heart defect.

HCM is more common than Multiple Sclerosis.

HCM is nearly 7 times more common than Cystic Fibrosis.

Coronary Artery Anomalies are estimated to occur in 1-2 percent of the general population.

Long QT syndrome is more common that Childhood Leukemia.

Over 1,000 children and young adults die yearly of the long QT syndrome in the US alone.

Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome occurs in about 0.1 to 3.1 per 1,000 persons.

Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia (ARVD) is estimated to affect one in 5000 people.

Mitral Valve Prolapse is prevalent in over two percent of the general population.