UK study finds heart screening uncovers silent risks in young women

Hidden heart conditions were found in young women at scale when Cardiac Risk in the Young reviewed its voluntary screening service, challenging the idea that sudden cardiac death is mainly a problem for sporty young men. Among nearly 40,000 women aged 14 to 35 checked through the charity-backed programme, 175 were found to have undiagnosed heart problems and 94 were judged at high risk of sudden cardiac death.

The screening service has operated since the early 1990s and relies on an ECG, with results read by a cardiologist and an echocardiogram added when more detail is needed. Researchers said the findings matter because some serious conditions do not cause symptoms and can sit unnoticed until a collapse or arrest. The review adds to a much larger CRY-led study of more than 104,000 people aged 14 to 35 screened between 2008 and 2018, which found that about 1 in 300 young people had conditions that could trigger a fatal cardiac event if left untreated.

That broader study also showed screening can lead directly to treatment. More than 40% of those diagnosed received major risk-reducing interventions, including implantable defibrillators, pacemakers, ablation surgery and, in two cases, heart transplantation. A six-year follow-up then found that 0.08% of people whose ECGs were normal at screening were later diagnosed with conditions linked to sudden cardiac death or arrest, a result that strengthens the case for repeat checks rather than a single test in early adulthood.

Professor Michael Papadakis of City St George’s, University of London, who led the study, said the findings showed cardiac screening can save lives but also made clear that some conditions develop later and are difficult to detect early. That nuance matters for young women as much as for young men: the screening data show women are not outside the risk pool, even if CRY estimates boys and young men are about three times more likely to be affected.

The policy debate is moving too. The UK National Screening Committee last reviewed sudden cardiac death screening in people under 39 in 2019 and concluded population screening should not be offered. It is now re-examining the evidence and is expected to launch a public consultation. CRY says at least 12 people aged 14 to 35 die from sudden cardiac death each week in the UK, a toll that campaigners argue has been underestimated for years.