James Taylor retires: What is ARVC, how common is it and how is the deadly disease treated?

Dr Mike Knapton explores the deadly heart condition that has led to England batsman Taylor prematurely ending his career

James Taylor has been forced to retire from cricket due to a heart condition (Getty)

What is ARVC?

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a rare disease which affects the heart muscle. The disease is caused by a mutation in one or more genes and is passed on through families.

In people with ARVC the proteins that hold the cells that make up the heart muscle together haven’t developed properly. This means that their heart muscle becomes thin and stretched and can’t pump blood around their body properly.

How common is ARVC, should I be worried?

Up to 1 in 1000 people in the UK are estimated to have the faulty gene which can lead to ARVC. Although around 64,000 UK people may carry a faulty gene not everyone develops the condition.

How is ARVC diagnosed?

Diagnosing people with ARVC can be difficult because changes to the heart’s muscle are minor and build-up over time. This means that often people aren’t diagnosed until later in life.

Many of the symptoms, such as breathlessness, palpitations and light-headedness, could also be caused by a number of other conditions.

Taylor has been forced to retire from cricket, aged 26 (Getty) (Getty Images)

Thanks to research funded by the British Heart Foundation we now know many of the genes that cause this potentially deadly condition.

Early diagnosis through genetic testing is vital to ensure people receive life saving early treatment. If you have a history of inherited heart conditions within your family, or a history of family members dying suddenly at a young age, speak to your GP.

How is ARVC treated?

Currently, there is no cure for ARVC, but the disease can be managed. With proper treatment and follow-up, most people with ARVC are able to control their symptoms and live a normal life.

In some people with the disease high levels of intense exercise can trigger dangerous heart rhythms, so these people may be advised to reduce the amount and intensity of any exercise that they do.

Fabrice Muamba suffered from a similar condition that led to a cardiac arrest (Getty) (Getty Images)

Some people may be fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). An ICD can detect dangerous heart rhythms and will shock the heart back into normal rhythm if an abnormal rhythm is detected.

What is being done to tackle this deadly disease?

There is an urgent need to understand the causes and processes behind ARVC to help develop new ways to prevent and treat the disease.

The British Heart Foundation has awarded Professor David Kelsell from Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry over £1million to look into the potential genetic mutations in people with AVRC which lead to sudden cardiac death. His research offers hope of new treatments.

Dr Mike Knapton is Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation