In this section you will find information about how CRY is working with coroners and pathologists to help families after a young sudden cardiac death. You will find related articles and press releases listed below, including articles written by coroners and pathologists about why and how they are involved in cases of young sudden cardiac death.

SourceArticle
CRYCRY-funded research published in leading journal
An insightful new study comes under the spotlight as CRY marks a decade of funding expert pathology. The latest research funded by CRY is helping to transform the way we understand conditions that can cause young sudden cardiac death.
American Heart Association JournalMiles C, Finocchiaro G, Papadakis M, Gray B, Westaby J, Ensam B, Basu J, Parry-Williams G, Papatheodorou E, Paterson C, Malhotra A, Robertus JL, Ware JS, Cook SA, Asimaki A, Witney A, Chis Ster I, Tome M, Sharma S, Behr ER, Sheppard MN
Sudden death and left ventricular in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy
American Heart Association Journal, January 2019 {Abstract}
Journal of the American College of CardiologyGherardo Finocchiaro, MD, Elijah R. Behr, MA, MBBS, Gaia Tanzarella, MD, Michael Papadakis, MBBS, MD, Aneil Malhotra, BSC, MBCHB, PHD, Harshil Dhutia, BSC, MBBS, Chris Miles, MBBS, Igor Diemberger, MD, PHD, Sanjay Sharma, BSC, MBCHB, MD, Mary N. Sheppard, MBBCH, BAO, BSC, MDc
This study sought to describe the clinical and pathological features of anomalous origin of a coronary artery (AOCA) in sudden cardiac death (SCD) victims.
Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2019 {article}
CRYInterview with Professor Mary Sheppard
CRY Update Brochure 76Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY Update Brochure 75Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
European Journal of Preventive CardiologyFinocchiaro G, Papadakis M, Dhutia H, Cole D, Behr ER, Tome M, Sharma S, Sheppard MN
Obesity and sudden cardiac death in the young: Clinical and pathological insights from a large national registry
European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, March 2018 {Abstract}
Journal of the American College of CardiologyMichael Papadakis, Efstathios Papatheodorou, Greg Mellor, Hariharan Raju, Rachel Bastiaenen, Yanushi Wijeyeratne, Sara Wasim, Bode Ensam, Gherardo Finocchiaro, Belinda Gray, Aneil Malhotra, Andrew D’Silva, Nina Edwards, Della Cole, Virginia Attard, Velislav N. Batchvarov, Maria Tome-Esteban, Tessa Homfray, Mary N. Sheppard, Sanjay Sharma and Elijah R. Behr
The Diagnostic Yield of Brugada Syndrome After Sudden Death With Normal Autopsy
JACC, March 2018 {Abstract}
CRY Update Brochure 74Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY Update Brochure 73Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
Journal of the American College of CardiologyHariharan Raju, Michael Papadakis, Greg Mellor, Sanjay Sharma, Mary N. Sheppard, Elijah R. Behr
Utility of Post-Mortem Genetic Testing in Cases of Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome
JACC, May 2017 {Abstract}
CRY Update Brochure 72Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
Journal of the American College of CardiologyGherardo Finocchiaro, Michael Papadakis, Elijah R. Behr, Sanjay Sharma, Mary Sheppard
Sudden Cardiac Death in Pre-Excitation and Wolff-Parkinson-White
JACC, March 2017 {Abstract}
CRYResearch Highlights 2016
CRY Update Brochure 71Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY Update Brochure 70Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
Journal of the American College of CardiologyGherardo Finocchiaro, MD; Michael Papadakis, MBBS, MD; Jan-Lukas Robertus, MD; Harshil Dhutia, MBBS; Alexandros Klavdios Steriotis, MD, PhD; Maite Tome, MD, PhD; Greg Mellor, MBChB; Ahmed Merghani, MBBS; Aneil Malhotra, MBBChir; Elijah Behr, MBBS, MD; Sanjay Sharma, MBChB, MD; Mary N. Sheppard, MBBCh, BAO, MD
Etiology of Sudden Death in Sports
Insights from a United Kingdom Regional Registry
CRY Update Brochure 69Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY Update Brochure 68Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY Update Brochure 67Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY Update Brochure 66Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY Update Brochure 65Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY Update Brochure 64Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRYCRY consolidates specialist services ‘under one roof’
The CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology moves to St George’s, University of London, alongside the charity’s world-renowned Centre for Inherited Cardiovascular Conditions
CRY Update Brochure 63Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY Update Brochure 62Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
Europacede Noronha, S.V., Behr, E.R., Papadakis, M., Ohta-Ogo, K., Banya, W., Wells, J., Cox, S., Cox, A., Sharma, S. and Sheppard, M.N.
“The importance of specialist cardiac histopathological examination in the investigation of young sudden cardiac deaths.”
Europace 22nd October 2013 Abstract
British Journal of Sports MedicineHill, S.F. and Sheppard, M.N.
“A silent cause of sudden cardiac death especially in sport: congenital coronary artery anomalies.”
British Journal of Sports Medicine 5th September 2013 Abstract
CRY Update Brochure 61Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY Update Brochure 60Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY Update Brochure 59Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY Update Brochure 58Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY‘Scrutiny panel’ welcomed in investigation into failings of Teesside Coroners Service
Alison Cox MBE, Chief Executive and Founder of CRY, comments on the investigations into the failings of the Teesside Coroners Service
CRY Update Brochure 57Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY Update Brochure 56Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY Update Brochure 55Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY Update Brochure 54Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY Update Brochure 53Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY Update Brochure 52Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY Update Brochure 51Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY Update Brochure 50Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
National Pathology WeekNational Pathology Week podcasts
Dr Mary Sheppard was involved in several discussions at the Royal Geographical Society during National Pathology Week 2009.
Arrhythmia WatchCall for post-mortem genetic testing to become routine in cases of sudden death
At a meeting on Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) at the Royal Society of Medicine, sponsored by Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), doctors have called for coroners to routinely request consent from relatives to allow small amounts of tissue to be retained from young people (under 35 year olds) who die suddenly from heart disease or without explanation.
CRY Update Brochure 49Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY Update Brochure 48Report from the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY websiteNew roles for Dr Mary Sheppard
Announcement of two important new positions granted to Dr Mary Sheppard.
CRY Press ReleaseLeading heart charity welcomes new initiative to ‘track’ sudden cardiac death in the young
National database hopes to cut deaths by making families & coroners more aware of ‘heart health history’
An announcement from the Department of Health and a collaboration of pathologists and heart experts has received praise from the campaigning and awareness raising charity, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).
Department of Health Press ReleaseLaunch of the Sudden Cardiac Death pathology database
In most middle-aged and older adults, sudden cardiac death is caused by coronary artery disease. In contrast, sudden cardiac death in individuals aged less than 35 years is frequently caused by inherited disorders of cardiac muscle (cardiomyopathy) and cardiac rhythm (ion channelopathies). The genetic nature of many of these diseases means that the relatives of young sudden cardiac death victims are at risk.
The Bulletin of the Royal College of PathologistsSudden cardiac death in the young and helping bereaved families
Dr Mary Sheppard has been working as a specialist cardiac pathologist for the past 12 years at the Royal Brompton Hospital. Many people think cardiac pathology is boring, lacking the diagnostic challenges of surgical pathology. Even colleagues have been known to state it is “easy”, based upon ischaemic heart disease where coronary arteries and diseased muscle is all that is needed to be looked at with the naked eye. However, there is also a very personal and moving aspect to the job, which Dr Sheppard shares with us here.
CRY Update Brochure 47Launch of the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)
CRY Press ReleaseNew labs ‘promise’ answers for hundreds of bereaved families
The agonising wait endured by many families following the sudden – and tragic – death of a child or partner could soon be over as London opens the UK’s first ever ‘fast-track’ pathology laboratories to help analyse the causes of unexpected cardiac death in ‘apparently’ fit and healthy young people.
BBC News website‘My fight to find out why Adam died’
Adam Payne was just eight years old when he collapsed during a football match and died.  For months nobody was able to tell his family why it had happened, but doctors said they suspected epilepsy to be the cause of death.
BBC News websiteFast-track lab for sudden deaths
A new national fast-track laboratory is aiming to offer definitive explanations of sudden cardiac deaths in people under the age of 35 within a few weeks.
The GuardianUnder the microscope
“Because we don’t have direct patient access we are considered the backroom boys,” says Dr Mary Sheppard, while sipping coffee in the Royal Brompton Hospital cafe. 
CRY Press ReleaseCardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) invests £300,000 to advance understanding of genetic silent killer – young sudden cardiac death
Two years on from publication of the NHS Chapter 8 strategy on Arrhythmias and Sudden Cardiac Death, leading charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), has committed to fund coroner referrals to an expert cardiac pathologist when a young person dies suddenly and the cause is unknown.
CRY Press ReleaseHeart Charity Cardiac Risk in the Young announce new Initiative to help prevent Sudden Cardiac Death in the Young
At this year’s annual Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) reception, as part of the CRY Raising Awareness Week, CRY will be announcing a major new initiative funding research which will be conducted by Dr Mary Sheppard of the National Heart and Lung institute at the Royal Brompton Hospital.
CRY familiesWhy is CRY’s coroner / pathology initiative so important?
“This section contains quotes from CRY families, illustrating why CRY’s coroner / pathology initiative (see Press Releases above) is so vital.”
Anonymous CoronerWhy is the Coroner Involved?
“Any death of which the cause is not immediately known had by law to be reported to the Coroner.”
Anonymous PathologistSudden Unidentified Death Syndrome & the Pathologist
“Once or twice a year I see previously fit young people who die suddenly with no apparent cause.”
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