Reason to kick the butt

Shourya was a healthy teenager who was very active in his school and especially sports activities. He had been selected as the captain of his basket ball team. One day during his daily practice he collapsed and died suddenly. It came as a great shock to his family and friends when the autopsy revealed that he had a heart abnormality that had never been detected.Similarly in another case Rinita who went for trekking  with her friends during a vacation could never meet the family again. Rinita who never ever complained of any uneasiness or discomfort became the victim of a cardiac death.Of late, there has been  an increase in the incidence of sudden cardiac deaths (SCD) among children below 18 years. These SCD is known as an unexpected death due to cardiac causes occurring in a short time period with known or unknown cardiac disease.Explaining the difference between SCD and heart attack, Dr Srinivas Raghavan, consultant, pediatric cardiologist at BGS Global Hospital says heart attacks among adults occur when there is a blockage in one or more of the coronary arteries, preventing the heart from receiving enough oxygen-rich blood. If the oxygen in the blood cannot reach the heart muscle, the heart gets damaged. However  in sudden cardiac arrest, the electrical system to the heart malfunctions and suddenly becomes very irregular. The heart beats dangerously fast and blood is not delivered to the body. He also maintained the incidence is less common in adults.Last year Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardio Vascular Sciences and Research  performed five surgical procedure on below 18 years who were saved during the golden period.Dr CN Manjunath, director of the institute says the main reasons attributed to sudden and unexpected deaths due to such cardiac disorders among children below 18 years are familial hyper cholesterolaemia in which LDL become 500-800. The child develops premature blockages in the coronary arteries and majority of such children suffered heart attack within 25 years of age. He further says that hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is also a common cause wherein the walls of the heart become abnormally thick without any other cause being identifiable. Even if there is no thickening, the arrangement of the heart’s muscle cells are disorganised and disrupted.Dr Manjunath also maintained that those children who start smoking or addicted to drugs are more vulnerable to such attacks as it triggers the risk.Emphaising on the need of screening  Pediatric cardiologists maintained that those who have the family history of premature deaths must undergo cardiac evaluation.