Over 5,000 people suffer sudden cardiac death in Ireland each year, of which 60 to 80 are young people under 35 years. In older people, sudden cardiac death usually occurs as a result of a heart attack caused by coronary disease (hardening of the arteries).

Cardiac disease in young people is mostly due to inherited heart disease or birth defects (congenital heart disease). Awareness of sudden cardiac death has increased in the last few years due to the sudden deaths of high-profile athletes. A conservative estimate is that over 10,000 people in Ireland carry genes for inherited heart disease, more often than not unknowingly.

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CRY is a charity founded in 2002 to:

• Raise awareness of cardiac risk in the young through media campaigns and public information meetings. Such events are ongoing.
• Provide counselling and support to families affected.
• This programme is on-going and a number of volunteers have been trained and resourced to provide telephone support to bereaved families. These volunteers are located throughout the country.
• To support the Centre for Cardiovascular Risk in Younger Persons (CRYP), where families and individuals can be evaluated in a timely and systematic fashion without financial cost. C.R.Y. is a partner in the CRYP Centre which is located in the Adelaide and Meath Hospital (AMNCH) at Tallaght. The other partners are St. James's Hospital, Dublin 8 and St. Vincent's University Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin 4.
• CRY offers counselling and support to those who have suffered a loss.
• CRY promotes heart screening by its support for the development of a National Screening and counselling Service.
• CRY is a self-supporting registered charity. It does not receive any Government funding and is consequently dependent on fund-raising activities and private donations.

CRYP Centre

The Centre for Cardiovascular Risk in Younger Persons (CRYP), provides evaluation and treatment for at risk individuals and families. This Centre opened in November, 2008 and currently operates from AMNCH Tallaght, with a clinic in St James’ Hospital. There are plans to develop a clinic in St Vincent’s University Hospital also. The CRYP centre depends primarily on financial donations predominantly from C.R.Y. for it's operations and also by individual benefactors; the Patches Trust, the Adelaide Society and the AMNCH Volunteers.

The Centre for Cardiovascular Risk in Younger Persons (CRYP), a dedicated new treatment centre, was developed by Dr David Mulcahy and Professor Ian Graham and their colleagues in the Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Tallaght (AMNCH) and St James’s Hospital to provide a medical facility for evaluating at-risk individuals and families, particularly young people.

Treatment and prevention of complications is possible in most people once cardiovascular disease is identified. Early identification can significantly reduce disease progression, although, generally, complete cure is not possible. Most treatments involve medication and lifestyle changes, although operations may be needed for advanced heart disease.

Even those identified as at risk of sudden death can be protected by implanting an internal cardioverter defibrillator (ICD or ‘shock-box’). While the facilities to diagnose coronary heart disease are available in most hospitals, up to now, services for screening and supporting relatives of those who died suddenly have not been readily available.

Dedicated accommodation at the CRYP Centre has allowed rapid access to non-invasive cardiac evaluation for individuals since November 2008. The Medical Committee comprises of senior Consultants from St Vincent’s Hospital, Beaumont Hospital and the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast in addition to those from Tallaght and St James. The two Co-Directors of the new Centre for Cardiovascular Risk are Dr Deirdre Ward in Tallaght Hospital and Dr Ross Murphy in St James’ Hospital. Both cardiologists have a special interest in the area of inherited cardiac disease and spent several years with Professor William McKenna and his team in London who are world-recognised experts in this field. Since September 2008, under the direction of Dr Deirdre Ward, an Administrator, two Cardiac Technicians and a specialist nurse have been working full-time at the Centre.

Aims of CRYP

The CRYP Centre aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of those diagnosed with, or at risk from, cardiovascular disease, particularly at a young age. This includes relatives of victims of sudden cardiac death where the cause may be inherited. These families are seen as a priority. Patients diagnosed with potentially inherited cardiovascular diseases, such as cardiomyopathies (heart muscle diseases), rhythm disorders, Marfan’s syndrome and premature coronary disease, are also seen, and their relatives are evaluated where appropriate.

The CRYP Centre also provides cardiac evaluation of young patients with symptoms suggestive of cardiac disease, such as unexplained blackout (especially if recurrent or linked to exertion) or shortness of breath or chest discomfort that repeatedly limits exercise capacity. The CRY charity will provide counselling and support on-site and partnerships have been developed with consultants in other hospitals to provide specialist services also.

Access

Access to the CRYP Centre is via referral from a Consultant or General Practitioner, often via the CRY charity. People can be referred from anywhere in the country and there is no charge to the patient, regardless of income or insurance. While focusing primarily on adolescents and young adults, there is no upper age limit for referral to the Centre.

To Contact CRY:

CRY at +353 1 452 5482; or
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Trustees:

Chairman of the Board: Michael Greene
Trustees: Eugene Farrell
Marie Greene
Fionnuala Kelly
Dr. Fionnuala Quigley
Don O'Brien (Secretary)
Denise O’Connor