New Jersey- The heart of the matter
the hcm 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.
Hear from New Jersey Constituents - We are more than numbers:
A few years after Willie McLaughlin had stopped training and competing as an Olympic-caliber track and field athlete, his doctor told him he had 'cardiomyopathy' during a routine checkup. He didn't have any symptoms while training, but now he was told that there was nothing to do but just monitor.
He was in his mid-30s when he noticed his first obvious symptoms. He was given blood pressure medications and had to deal with the symptoms. Over time, he developed atrial fibrillation (AFib), but none of the medications worked. Instead, he had 3 cardioversions performed over the course of several years and was prescribed blood thinners. After extensive testing, he was diagnosed with HCM. During this time, his brother also underwent surgery for HCM. Unfortunately, his brother passed due to complications a few months later. At his brother's funeral Willie met a woman who informed him about a Center of Excellence. There, he was able to really learn about his condition as well as appropriate treatments. He received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator ICD for his AFib that would keep him alive if there was a dangerous rhythm until medical help arrived.
Like, Willie there are up to 7,200 constituents potentially affected by cardiac disorders per EACH State Senator’s District in New Jersey with up to 1,100 being Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy*
Help save us now:
One of the disorders in the spectrum is Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy which is often misdiagnosed or worse yet - overlooked until it is too late.
HCM and many other cardiac diseases run in families and can often be misdiagnosed. Joseph Caruso was misdiagnosed by a doctor who told him to have everything settled because he may die at any time. Other doctors treated him for asthma, but his inhaler only made his heart feel worse.
It was only when his wife convinced him to go to a seminar with people experiencing the same symptoms as him that Joseph realized he may have HCM. He then got into contact with a Center of Excellence (COE), received open-heart surgery, and felt like he could finally breathe within days of his surgery.
There are up to 4,000 potentially affected constituents per EACH Assembly Member's District in New Jersey and up to 600 being Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy*
To view the full report on the prevalence of cardiac disorders in the state of New Jersey: Click Here
Please, listen to our patient stories, and take action to support the HCM Act. Draft legislation is available for review: https://4hcm.org/health-cardiac-monitoring-act/