Roger Moore backs campaign to aid people hit by blackouts

Former James Bond Sir Roger Moore has thrown his weight behind a campaign to help people who suffer from blackouts.

Blackouts, which happen when people lose consciousness for a short period, affect over half of all Britons at some stage, campaigners said. Most are caused by a little-known heart problem, according to charity STARS (Syncope Trust and Reflex anoxic Seizures).

A new Department of Health-endorsed "blackouts checklist" is available on the STARS website.

Anyone with unexplained blackouts can access it to help them and their doctors reach a correct diagnosis.

Blackouts triggered by cardiovascular problems can appear similar to epileptic seizures and are often misdiagnosed as such, said the charity.

A blackout that happens when blood supply to the brain is interrupted is called syncope.

But the condition is relatively unknown and it is estimated that over a third of patients diagnosed with epilepsy may have been misdiagnosed, the charity said.

A cardiologist and heart rhythm specialist from Manchester Heart Centre Dr Adam Fitzpatrick added that increasingly, the use of video-phones for recording an attack is adding huge value to diagnosis.

He said it was important that patients provide as much accurate information as possible when they see their doctor and attend with an eye-witness if possible.

Sir Roger, 79, who has suffered from syncope, said: "I was lucky, having blacked out on stage I received excellent and rapid medical attention, and I now have a pacemaker which kicks in whenever my heart rhythm requires a correction.

"Thousands of sufferers aren't so lucky." The ex-007 continued: "This checklist is what anyone who has had a blackout should use, as it could save years of confusion, fear and the tragedy of misdiagnosis."

Blackouts can also be a first symptom of a fatal irregular heart rhythm, which causes over 100,000 deaths every year in Britain.

In spite of these arrhythmias being the leading single cause of death in Britain, there are fewer than 70 heart rhythm specialists in the whole country, said STARS.

Patients and parents can access a copy of the checklist from www.stars.org.uk

Courtesy http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk