Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 17-03-2017

South Africa has been cast on the map in the world of genetics after a woman from the Cape Flats made a landmark medical discovery that could prevent hundreds of cardiac-related deaths.

An all-female team of researchers from the University of Cape Town‚ led by Maryam Fish from Lansdowne‚ along with Gasnat Shoobadien and Sarah Krause made the discovery with researchers from Italy.

The discovery has been hailed as the “biggest breakthrough in South African cardiology since Dr Chris Barnard’s first heart transplant” at the Groote Schuur Hospital nearly 50 years ago.

The gene‚ called CDH2‚ is found in everyone but a mutation causes a genetic disorder known as arrythmogenic right ventricle cardiomyopathy (ARVC), which increases the risk of heart disease and cardiac arrest or a heart attack.

Speaking to Radio Islam, Shoobadien says the project started about 20 years ago by Bongani Mayosi, a Professor of Cardiology and Health Facility Dean at UCT with him wanting to find a gene that was causing heart attacks in his family.

“This gene makes possible early diagnosis of unsuspecting people who are affected with this type of heart disease. It helps us to understand how ARVC leads to disease. So now you have treatment options and other ways to combat the disease.”

According to the Medical Research Council (MRC) sudden cardiac death is estimated to affect more than five young people in South Africa every day.

In under-35s‚ an inherited form of disease of the heart muscle plays a prominent role in the fatalities‚ which happen as a result of cardiac arrest.

Shoobadien says people that have a history hereditary heart disease or sudden death among younger family members should consult a general practitioner who will refer them to a cardiologist if any unusual symptoms are diagnosed.