THERE is fresh hope for thousands of people in Northern Ireland with a potentially deadly heart condition as it is revealed £2 million is to be spent on a major study into the disease.
It is estimated that dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) affects up to 7,400 people in the north with a staggering 18,600 also at risk of developing the condition.
The disease stretches and thins the heart muscle so it becomes 'baggy' and is unable to pump blood around the body efficiently, which can lead to sudden death through heart failure.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) today reveals it is investing £2 million into the largest ever study of the "poorly-understood" disease, which aims to find better ways to diagnose, treat and prevent people dying from the condition.
The study of more than 2,000 patients with DCM will investigate the interaction between genes and lifestyle factors to understand more about why people develop the condition and who is at risk of sudden death or heart failure.
Mae Glover (67) from Saintfield, who was diagnosed with DCM last year despite leading a "fit and active life", has welcomed the study.
"I went to see the doctor who sent me straight to accident and emergency department where I was admitted to coronary care unit for two weeks. It was here I was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy," she said.
"I had no other symptoms other than the breathlessness and it was a bit of a shock.
"I now have a cardiac resynchronisation device with a defibrillator fitted to help regulate my heart rhythm coupled with an implantable defibrillator.
"DCM isn’t a condition many people have heard of so I’m pleased this study is taking place. Doctors still don’t know what caused mine because I’m otherwise healthy so anything that can help improve diagnosis and treatment is good news for patients like me."
Craig Moore from BHF said: "This new funding represents a really exciting step towards understanding more about this dangerous condition, and could help us develop new tests and treatments in the future".
