Heart death funds appeal launched

The British Heart Foundation Scotland aims to raise £100,000

An appeal has been launched to fund research by Dundee scientists into sudden deaths of apparently healthy people as a result of heart attacks.

Researchers at Dundee University are using simple blood tests to find new ways to identify silent ischaemia.

Sufferers do not have an obvious history of heart problems and could be unaware anything is wrong until they have a heart attack.

The British Heart Foundation Scotland aims to raise £100,000 for the study.

The Dundee team will investigate why about 40% to 50% of sudden cardiac deaths occur in people with no apparent history of heart disease.

'Future generations'

Heart of Discovery appeal manager Ffyonna Scott said: "Despite everything we do to tackle the most common risk factors for heart disease - smoking, blood pressure and cholesterol - thousands of apparently healthy people die suddenly and unexpectedly every year, causing great distress to their loved ones."

John Johnston, who was a healthy non-smoker who exercised regularly, was 57 when he suffered a heart attack.

He said: "Prior to the heart attack, I had suffered no symptoms other than slight breathlessness a few months earlier, and I had no risk factors that I knew of.

"I have since had a triple heart bypass operation, and my general health has been normal.

"Sadly, in 2007, my brother also had a sudden heart attack and died, aged just 57.

"I could have been another victim of silent ischaemia, and I support this appeal, funding research in Dundee which will benefit future generations in Scotland and across the world."