UK Government shares cardiac screening update as 27,000 demand change | UK | News

The Government has issued an update on heart health after thousands of people called for heart screening to start at age 14. online parliamentary petitioninitiated in response to sudden cardiac death and at least Every week 12 people live under the age of 35 in the UK.

The petition called for a new screening programme, as well as ‘a national awareness campaign to stop these unnecessary deaths’ from heart disease. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) responded by confirming that the evidence on sudden deaths was being reviewed and a public consultation would be launched in the spring.

department’s statementIn a statement published on February 13, he said: “The government is guided by the UK National Screening Committee, which is re-examining the evidence on screening for sudden cardiac death in young people and will open public consultation in the spring.

“As screening can also cause harm, it is vital that screening policy is based on scientific evidence. The Government is advised on all screening issues by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent scientific advisory committee made up of leading medical and screening experts. The UK NSC recommends a screening program when it is satisfied that offering screening will do more good than harm.”

The UK NSC last evaluated screening for conditions linked to sudden cardiac death in people under 39 in 2019 and concluded that community screening should not be recommended. According to the DHSC, at the time it was ‘unclear whether existing tests could accurately detect heart conditions in young people without symptoms’.

The ministry also stressed that population-level screening could cause ‘harm’ by misdiagnosing some people, potentially prompting them to make life-changing decisions. This may include stopping exercise, which can have detrimental long-term effects on health.

DHSC continued: “Being misdiagnosed can also lead to some people being prescribed medication or undergoing medical procedures they do not need, such as having an implantable defibrillator fitted. This can lead to people living in fear of sudden cardiac death even though they are not at risk.”

“At the same time, screening may provide false reassurance to others who are at risk of sudden cardiac death but whose risk cannot be detected by screening tests. Footballers who appear to have had a heart attack on the pitch have often been scanned, but the test has shown nothing unusual; there are many causes of sudden cardiac death that may not be detected as part of screening.”

“Additionally, the 2019 review found no studies comparing the effectiveness of screening versus no screening in preventing sudden cardiac death.”

Despite these findings, the UK NSC is currently reviewing the evidence surrounding sudden cardiac death screening and plans to launch a public inquiry this spring. NHS England also provides targeted support and screening for patients with a wide range of heart conditions.

Comprehensive NHS Health Checks are similarly available for people aged 40 to 74 who have not previously been diagnosed with conditions such as heart failure or high blood pressure. blood pressureor diabetes. More information About availability can be found here.

The DHSC response added: “More broadly, since 2014 the NHS has run quality-assured antenatal and newborn screening programmes, where babies are screened for congenital heart disease prenatally and in the neonatal period. The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England do not currently have any specific ongoing campaigns or plans to run a campaign to raise awareness of sudden cardiac death.”

The petition titled ‘Fund for heart screening and heart awareness program at age 14’ has collected more than 27,000 signatures. If it reaches 100,000 signatures, it will be discussed in the Parliament.

You can view the petition and its content. The full answer is here on the Parliament’s website.