View clinical trials related to Channelopathies.
Filter by:Every week in the UK, 12 apparently healthy and fit individuals under the age of 35 die suddenly, a tragic event known as sudden cardiac death (SCD). The investigators have shown that heritable cardiac disorders affect the distribution of proteins at the cardiac cell-cell junctions, the areas where cardiac cells are mechanically and electrically coupled. This knowledge has helped the investigators diagnose specific heart disorders in individuals thus reducing the risk and incidence of SCD. Yet, the primary material required is a heart sample. A heart biopsy is an invasive process that comes with risks and is not performed unless absolutely necessary. And it is impossible to obtain a heart sample from an individual that may be carrying a disease-causing mutation (and hence be at risk of SCD) but does not yet show evidence of disease manifestation. The investigators recently showed that buccal cells show changes in protein distribution equivalent to those exhibited by the heart,hence providing them with a surrogate tissue for the myocardium. The investigators aim to use buccal smears as a means to identify those at risk of SCD. Patients regularly seen at the cardiology clinics at St. George's Hospital can participate in the study. The investigators shall take a buccal smear simply by rubbing a soft brush at the inside of their cheek and smearing it on a slide. Most individuals willing to participate in the study will only have to provide the investigators with a sample once. However, in selected cases (for instance, if the patients show disease progression or have a change in medication) they may be asked to provide the investigators with a subsequent sample during one of their scheduled follow-up visits. The process takes only a few seconds, is totally risk- and pain-free and it is anticipated to have great implications in diagnosis and patient management.
The investigators have created a way of quickly collecting information in a large scale young population regarding the presence of some severity indicators that may allow us to classify them into: seemingly "low risk" and possible "elevated risk" for the presence of heart disease. It would have to be a short questionnaire, in order to receive a great adherence but that could simultaneously provide precise information, with an adequate description of symptoms and warning signs, in a way that a triage in the young adult population could be performed in the general young adult population in order to select individuals with an indication for personalized clinical evaluation and possible need of complementary diagnostic means. Based on this premise the investigators have developed a fast-response questionnaire named the Sudden Cardiac Death Screening Of risk factorS (SCD-SOS). This questionnaire has already been tested in a population of approximately 1500 young adults, and some changes have been introduced in order to refine its performance. To best of the investigators knowledge, there are no large scale European surveys estimating the prevalence of cardiac disease and associated clinical symptoms in a non-selected (non-athlete) population of this age group. Purpose: To screen a young adult population from central regional of Portugal for heart disease possibly associated to a high risk of Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD). To determine the national prevalence of clinical symptoms of heart disease and of heart disease with increased risk for SCD in this age group. To detect young adults in risk of SCD and with an indication for evaluation by a cardiologist, and possible need of: - medical treatment - electrophysiologic (EP) study and percutaneous ablation - an implantable cardiovertor defibrillator - a pacemaker - other type of specialized cardiac intervention