Screening for Risk of Sudden Death Program
What is Sudden Death?
Sudden death refers to a condition in which vital organs abruptly stop functioning. It happens in an instant and is a severe condition, resulting in immediate death or death within one hour after the onset of symptoms. It can happen to anyone and usually occurs with little or no prior warning.
Did you know? Routine annual health checkups are not sufficiently comprehensive to screen for the risks of sudden death. The Sudden Death Screening Program is a special form of targeted prevention designed to identify hidden vulnerabilities associated with heart diseases, neurological and brain disorders, sleep-related conditions, and genetic risks.
Advanced Diagnostic Tests Complementing Routine Health Checkups
- A blood test panel is curated to accurately identify the underlying causes of cardiovascular disease and genetic risk factors.
- High-sensitivity troponin I and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) are markers of myocardial ischemia and acute myocardial infarction.
- NT-proBNP is a biomarker of heart failure that raises the risk of sudden cardiac arrest.
- ApoA1, ApoB, and Lipoprotein (a) help gauge the risk of atherosclerosis, a common cause of coronary artery disease and heart failure.
- APOE Genotype evaluates a hereditary risk factor for coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease.
- Imaging and Functional Tests to identify risk factors related to cardiovascular disease and neurological and cerebrovascular disorders
- Coronary CTA and Calcium Scoring detect coronary artery narrowing or extent of coronary calcification, assess the presence of coronary artery disease, a leading cause of acute myocardial infarction and sudden death.
- Stress Echocardiogram compares cardiac performance at rest and after exercise, evaluates myocardial contractility, and identifies areas of myocardial ischemia.
- CTA of the Whole Aorta (Thoracic and Abdominal Aorta) diagnoses aortic dissection and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).
- Doppler Ultrasound of the Carotid and Vertebral Arteries evaluate velocity and direction of blood flow and identifies narrowing or blockages of main neck arteries that supply blood to the brain.
- Neck MRI/MRA evaluates abnormalities of blood vessels, nerves, or soft tissues that may affect the brain.
- Brain MRI/MRA detects narrowing, occlusion, or aneurysmal dilatation of cerebral vessels that may lead to stroke.
- EEG Short Monitoring assesses brain function and detects abnormal brain wave activity, such as epilepsy or unexplained seizures.
- Heart’s Activities Monitoring with Cardio Scan/Holter Monitoring. To detect sporadic heart rhythm abnormalities that a standard electrocardiogram (ECG) may miss.
- Genetic Testing. To analyze genetic sequences and detect deletions or duplications in 168 genes associated with inherited cardiac arrhythmias and hereditary cardiomyopathies, including Long QT Syndrome (LQTS), Short QT Syndrome, Brugada syndrome, polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, dilated cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy, and left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy.
- Sleep Test. A comprehensive sleep study that continuously monitors brain wave activity, heart rhythm, breathing, and blood oxygen saturation levels to identify sleep-related disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that places acute strain on the heart and leads to left ventricular hypertrophy over time. It also assists in the diagnosis of epilepsy and other neurological abnormalities.
Screening for Risk of Sudden Death Program
This special screening program, conducted by expert physicians in cardiology, neurology, neurosciences, sleep medicine, and genomic medicine, casts a wide net to identify the most common risk factors for sudden death. The program helps detect the telltale signs and underlying genetic risks, effectively lessening the risk of sudden, unexpected death.