Texas - The heart of the matter
Thank you, Texas, for officially declaring HCM Awareness Day in your state!
the children's cardiac safety act will help identify Cardiac Health issues in patients with a spectrum of Diseases including Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a sudden, unexpected death caused by loss of heart function (sudden cardiac arrest). Sudden cardiac death is the largest cause of natural death in the United States, causing about 325,000 adult deaths in the United States each year.
Multiple conditions and risks can make children prone to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) or sudden cardiac death (SCD) as well as other complications of heart disease. To date, the focus has mainly been only on screening student-athletes.
By the numbers:
One of the disorders in the spectrum is Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy which is often misdiagnosed or worse yet - overlooked until it is too late.
But with more attention focused on this problem, we can improve the diagnosis delay.
There are close to 30,500 Texas State constituents potentially affected with cardiac disorders per EACH State Senator’s District with up to 4,800 being Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.
The HCMA has many members from Texas. They share a deep understanding of the benefits of childhood screening and early diagnosis.
Hear from a Texas State constituent - Help save us now:
Rush Roberts was asymptomatic and only got tested because of his family history. Being only 30 years old, he despised the numerous appointments and tests that he had to attend.
A year after his last checkup, and about 3 years after his diagnosis, Rush went to the doctor's and was found to be in AFib and early stages of heart failure. After he was taken to the hospital, tests concluded that he would need a myectomy to alleviate some of the pressure in his heart. After the surgery and a couple months in cardiac rehab, Rush was back to work and felt the best he in over a decade.
One morning, he woke to his heart rate being over 200 bpm. He went to his clinic, the arrhythmia finally broke, and went home with a prescription for anti-arrhythmia drugs, a defibrillator, and a scheduled ablation.
In the span of 2 and a half years, Rush has had 4 ablations for his arrhythmia. Though one of the ablations stopped his afib, he began to deal with atrial tachycardia. He has been dealing with his symptoms with medication, controlled exercise, and stress management.
Like Rush, there are up to 6,300 constituents potentially affected with cardiac disorders per EACH Assembly Member’s District in Texas with up to 1,000 being Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.
To view the full report on the prevalence of cardiac disorders in the state of Texas: Click here
Please, listen to our patient stories, and take action to support the Children's Cardiac Safety Act. Draft legislation is available for review: Children's Cardiac Safety Act - Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association