Cardiologist suggests heart screening for 12-year-olds

A leading cardiologist wants Belgium’s 400,000 12-year-olds to be checked for potential heart defects, reports Le Soir. Pedro Brugada (pictured) – who treated footballer Fabrice Muamba after he collapsed during a match in March – has been performing free heart checks for young footballers for the past three years, and now he wants the procedure to be extended to all 12-year-olds, saying that two-thirds of sudden deaths among youngsters could be avoided if heart defects were diagnosed at an early stage. He has acquired a purpose-built, fully equipped ‘cardiobus’ in which he will travel up and down the country from January 15. The cost of the project is estimated at around €1 million and the Brussels Region has indicated that it will help with the financing. Help will be sought from the private sector if the other regions choose not to support the project.