Healthy Truth: Research identifies those at risk of sudden death
Ground breaking genetic research is helping save lives by identifying people at risk of sudden death.
The Sydney-based research is helping keep busy young athletes with undiagnosed heart conditions active and alive.
15-year-old Marshall Hastings plays representative soccer, and he's lucky to be alive at all.
When he was just nine, Marshall was swimming in his third race in a local carnival, and he was winning.
Suddenly, at the 25-metre mark he sank to the bottom of the pool. There was no splashing, no warning.
Marshall's heart was beating so abnormally fast his body had shut down.
His mother AnnMaree Hastings told 7News: "I just catapulted myself out of the grandstand onto the pool deck".
Life guards immediately hauled Marshall from the water, and were able to shock his heart back to its normal rhythm using a defibrillator which had just been installed.
According to Marshall: "It was a bit scary going from the pool straight to the hospital."
Genetic tests revealed Marshall had a rare electro-physiological heart disorder.
It's triggered by strenuous exercise or acute emotion.
His Mum had the same disorder and was basically a ticking time bomb.
According to AnnMaree: "I was 45 at that times so I had never had an episode of loss of consciousness."
Marshall and his Mum were exceptionally fortunate, often the first sign something is wrong, is when it's too late.
Now thanks to breakthroughs in genetic research at Sydney University, doctors can detect heart problems in young people, and save their lives.
Professor Chris Semsarian, a Cardiologist at Sydney University and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital explains: "So not long ago we'd only look at one or two genes at a time, now we have the technology to look at all 22 thousand genes that we have in our bodies, to try to find the culprit gene."
Marshall and AnnMaree were both surgically implanted with cardioverter defibrillators to monitor their hearts, and if needed, shock them back into rhythm.
Belgian footballer Anthony Van Loo showed just how well these work in 2009. He collapsed mid game, and his cardioverter defibrillator kicked in and revived him.
Professor Semsarian says: "By identifying people early on in life with these conditions and these genetic faults, we can initiate prevention strategies to stop people dying suddenly."
And keep families like the Hastings, alive and active, which was vital according to Marshall: It was very important yeah I love my sport."
As well as the amazing advancements in technology and genetics, there are three key ways to help prevent sudden heart death in fit young athletes like Marshall:
Raised awareness and screening for heart conditions,
Widespread CPR training in schools, sports clubs, workplaces and community settings
Increased availability of defibrillators.
If you’re interested in finding out more, contact Royal Prince Albert Hospital on 02 9515 6111.
TOMORROW in the Healthy Truth: how gene research could save more lives and change the future of medicine.'
