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The world-famous Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota is seeking participants for a research trial investigating people who are survivors of Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection. SCAD is a rare heart condition that is identified only during autopsy in about 80% of cases. Most victims are young, healthy women with few if any cardiac risk factors. If you have a confirmed diagnosis of SCAD, please contact Mayo Clinic directly to find out if you are eligible for this important study.
Cardiologist Dr. Sharonne Hayes, director of the Mayo Women's Heart Clinic, explains:
"Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) is a poorly understood condition. The coronary arteries consist of three layers, and dissection occurs when two of these layers separate, enabling blood to flow into the space between the layers. As the blood accumulates, this can cause obstruction to normal blood flow within the heart, leading to chest pain, heart attack and even sudden death.
"And because SCAD is relatively rare, the medical community has much to learn about treatment and prevention of this potentially fatal cardiovascular event."
Mayo Clinic will be conducting two new studies of SCAD. One involves building a database of patients with SCAD (whether they have been patients at Mayo Clinic or not) to hopefully identify patterns that could guide future research. Another involves creating a biobank of blood samples from patients with SCAD and their close relatives, to potentially see whether genetic factors play a role in development of SCAD.
SCAD survivors from outside the U.S. are also invited to participate in the study.
At least 200 participants are urgently needed for this study (plus an equal number of their family members to investigate possible genetic links to SCAD). Please help publicize this by forwarding this to your cardiologist or family physician; ask them to help spread the word to all potential SCAD patients out there.
Learn more about this study and the amazing story of the two women whose rare diagnosis united them to push Mayo Clinic to launch this research at: "All The SCAD Ladies, Put Your Hands Up!" on HEART SISTERS.
