Until now, the diagnosis of calcium release deficiency syndrome (CRDS) was very difficult to make. But in a new study published in the journal Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), researchers offer a simple and accessible test. Ultimately, it could be used by doctors in offices.
CRSD: a “diagnostic method carried out using an electrocardiogram”
CRSD is a heart disease first documented in 2021 by Wayne Chen, author of this new study. It is characterized by an arrhythmia which can lead to cardiac arrest. Until now, only laboratory tests made it possible to make the diagnosis of CRDS. The problem is that they were not accessible to practitioners and, de factopatients could not benefit from it.
“This new and simple diagnostic method, which can be performed using an electrocardiogram in many clinical situations, is hopefully an important step towards improving our assessment (of cardiac arrests which until now remained unexplained)“, indicates Jason Roberts, one of the authors, in a communicated.
To show the effectiveness of this new screening method, scientists tested it on 68 participants with four different heart conditions, including some with CRDS. Results: The test was able to diagnose those with CRDS with great accuracy. At the same time, studies carried out on mice have corroborated these results.
Screening to prevent cardiac arrest
“This is an important finding as there is an urgent need for a clinical diagnostic test for CRDSexplains Wayne Chen. This will allow us to identify those at risk, better understand the prevalence of CRDS, and hopefully develop treatments for this disease.“The researchers plan to continue their studies, including 500 patients. Ultimately, this test could therefore make it possible to better diagnose CRDS and avoid cardiac arrest.
In France, each year, 40,000 people are victims, according to the French Federation of Cardiology. “We hope this test will help many families around the world who have experienced unexplained cardiac events or lost loved ones.”says Jason Roberts.
