Bbc Breakfast Profiles Charity’s Call For A National Screening Programme As Its Waiting List For Heart Testing Exceeds 100,000

Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) which provides free [at the point of access] heart checks for over 30,000 young people every year in the UK has warned the demand for these potentially life-saving tests is “exponentially outstripping capacity” with the news that its waiting list (which registers the details of any individual wishing to book a screening appointment with CRY) has exceeded 100,000

Young sudden cardiac death (YSCD) claims the lives of at least 12 seemingly fit and healthy young people every week in the UK. In around 80% of cases of these arrhythmias and heart muscle conditions (cardiomyopathies) there will have been no signs or symptoms – yet the vast majority of the underlying and ‘hidden’ issues that cause such fatal cardiac arrests can be identified using a simple ECG test, which is then read and assessed by a specially trained cardiologist.

CEO of the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), which was established 30 years ago in 1995 to support families affected by YSCD and to help prevent these devastating young deaths, Dr Steven Cox, explains; “This is certainly a milestone – but not the milestone we ever wanted to reach.

An expert press office team at Trinity PR has worked alongside CRY since 2003….and we were delighted to help secure a 10 minute, powerful and poignant case study-led feature on BBC Breakfast on Tuesday 4^th February – the start of Heart Month 2025.

Dr Cox continues; “100,000 is clearly a powerful statistic in terms of demonstrating the sheer scale of interest in CRY’s highly reputable nationwide screening programme and the growing demand from young people who want to take proactive steps in having their heart tested.  But, it’s frustrating for us, as a charity and the team of expert cardiologists who we work with, that we are unable to meet this demand, despite believing that every young person has the right to have their heart tested.

“For nearly 30 years we have been campaigning and trying to inform and influence decision makers in the Government and the National Screening Committee. And, over these past 3 decades we have developed a robust, cost-effective and research led screening programme.

“To date, over 315,000 young people aged 14-35 have had their hearts tested and – according to widely acknowledged data – we know at least 3,000 young lives have been saved through early identification and treatment of asymptomatic heart conditions.”

“It’s unacceptable that this programme is still funded by bereaved families and those affected by the tragedy of young sudden cardiac death. The framework is in place, years of research have refined our screening criteria – so we now owe it to our young people to ensure their heart health is protected through the roll out of a nationwide screening programme, that can meet demand.”

Many of the young people who are identified through community screenings with potential abnormalities will be referred back to CRY’s Consultant Cardiologist, Professor Sanjay Sharma and his expert team at St George’s Hospital, London for further investigations or to a specialist centre for Inherited Cardiac Conditions (ICC) in their local areas.

The vast majority of CRY’s screenings are funded by families who have been affected by a young sudden cardiac death, so there is no charge to the individual when CRY’s mobile cardiac screening service comes to a local venue. CRY uses a non-invasive way of diagnosing most cardiac abnormalities. It is a quick, painless and affordable procedure called an electrocardiogram (ECG), reviewed by a specially trained medic. If a young person is found to have an abnormality, CRY will also swiftly refer them for Echocardiogram screen (ultrasound) and ongoing, more in-depth investigations, as necessary.

For more information about CRY please go to: www.c-r-y.org.uk   or www.testmyheart.org.uk