At least twelve young people die in the UK every week of an undiagnosed heart condition, according to UK-based charity CRY – Cardiac Risk in the Young.

These youngsters are victims of Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) and CRY has, since 1995, campaigned to raise public awareness of and provide information on SDS in people aged 35 and less

SDS may have many different causes but all cause cardiac arrest and death in young people. Often, there are no obvious symptoms, which means young people and their families are usually unaware of any problem until tragedy strikes.

But a simple electrocardiogram (ECG) can help doctors diagnose heart problems early on. CRY is campaigning for all teenagers to have a routine ECG because the sooner youngsters with heart problems are diagnosed, the sooner they can get help to manage their condition.

Philips, as a world leader in medical technologies, is working with CRY to support the charity’s subsidized ECG tests that are available throughout the UK to people aged between 14 and 35.

Philips is donating state of the art ECG and echocardiograph imaging systems to CRY and support the charity at its screening centers in the UK. Health and wellness for the patient are at the heart of all Philips’ medical technologies. Philips’ Advanced Heart Monitoring equipment is designed around the needs of patients and healthcare providers to ensure that tests are as efficient and relaxing as possible.

In partnership with CRY, Philips’ goal is to help more families understand the simple steps that can be taken to try to reduce the number of SDS deaths. By providing smart solutions to complex problems, Philips and CRY hope to eliminate sudden death in the young from undiagnosed heart conditions.