What happens if something is found on my ECG?
There’s about a 4% chance that something will be found on the ECG. If we do identify an abnormality then we would recommend further investigations in the form of a cardiac ultrasound – which is what we perform most commonly – and sometimes patients are also required to have a 24 hour ECG and an […]
Can I still have the test if I have a hangover?
A hangover does not preclude ECG testing but I suspect any individual that’s hungover will also probably have a rapid heartbeat because one of the reasons that one feels hungover after alcohol is because of vasodilatation. The blood vessels in the body vasodilate and cause the headache. If the whole body is vasodilated, the heart […]
Why doesn’t CRY screen people under 14?
Our lower age limit for screening at CRY is 14 years of age. This is because we believe that most people at the age of 14 are well into puberty. This is important for us because conditions such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy do not manifest fully until the pubertal spurt. Therefore there is a risk that […]
Can I have an ECG if I’m pregnant?
The ECG is a very safe test and there are no issues with ECGs and pregnancy. The ECG does not involve any radiation or any chemicals into the woman’s body. Numerous women undergo ECG testing because palpitation in pregnancy is very common and I would have no concerns with performing an ECG on a pregnant […]
If I don’t do much sport will I still be able to get tested?
At CRY, we offer all young, apparently healthy individuals the opportunity to be screened. The screening programme is not just biased to people who play sport. I believe that most young people do exert themselves to some extent or not, I don’t know of many young people who will not run up and down stairs […]
My child is not 14. Can he / she be screened?
Screening for under 14’s is possible but there are some issues with screening people who are under 14. The first is that below the age of 14, many people are still about to start puberty – they’re prepubertal, and prepubertal individuals usually have immature hearts which may mimic conditions like arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy and […]
Why doesn’t CRY screen people over 35?
If an individual is aged over 35 and wishes to be screened for conditions causing sudden cardiac death then I’m afraid that Cardiac Risk in the Young don’t extend the screening programme beyond 35, we only screen people aged from 14 to 35. I’ve already answered why we screen people from 14 onwards, the big […]
I’m over 35. Can I be screened?
At the CRY screening programme, the upper age limit for screening is 35 years of age and there’s an excellent reason for this. If one examines the epidemiological data on sudden cardiac death, then most deaths in people aged 35 or under are due to hereditary conditions affecting heart muscle and the electrical system of […]
When I was younger I was told I have a heart murmur. Does that matter?
Heart murmurs can be due to numerous things. They can be due to a problem with the heart valves, they may be due to a hole in the heart. Some children when they are born are identified with a heart murmur that is usually due to a hole in the heart. In many situations, if […]
What if I have a family history of ischemic heart disease?
A family history of ischemic heart disease may be important in the assessment of a young individual for conditions that cause sudden cardiac death. You may be aware that 25% of the British population will die from ischemic heart disease so it’s very common for us to obtain a family history of ischemic heart disease; […]
