Liza in hospital comforting her worried little boy after she suffered from a SCAD attack that left a tear in the major artery of her heart, causing a heart attack.
Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a condition that was thought to be very rare, but it is now clear that almost 1 in 4 heart attacks in women under 50 are caused by it.
SCAD is a frightening condition that can occur without warning. It causes the main artery of the heart to spontaneously tear, resulting in a heart attack.
There are three elements of this research, which is aimed at exploring the genetics of SCAD.
The first element involves analysing a patient’s entire genetic make-up to identify any commonalities amongst people with SCAD.
The second is to study a patient’s skin cells to see if we can identify any unique characteristics which might shed light on why women are more likely to suffer a SCAD heart attack.
Down the track, we also hope to use blood vessel cells to screen potential medication that might help prevent or reduce the occurrence of SCAD.
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