An inquest heard that Jed David Warncken died of haemopericardium – a rupture of the aorta which causes blood to form in the sac around the heart compressing it.
Today Philippa Hobson, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, has stressed that serious heart conditions can affect anyone – regardless of their age or lifestyle – and that there could be ‘millions’ of people in Britain unknowingly at risk due to undiagnosed conditions.
‘If you are extremely concerned about your heart health, you should visit your local GP for further advice,’ she said.
The inquest heard that Mr Warncken had regularly attended his GP over the course of the previous four years with chest pains as well as shoulder and back pain but the underlying condition went undetected.
His mother told the inquest: ‘His diet was immaculate. He was tee-total. He didn’t smoke.
‘We understand as a family what has happened to Jed. We think his GPs have a lot to answer for.’
Mr Warncken, it was heard, had been at his St Saviour home that he shared with his girlfriend in the early hours of Monday 3 June having visited his father the evening before to celebrate his birthday.
He had been on his computer, it was heard, in his bedroom when his girlfriend in the next room was ‘disturbed by what sounded like a machine’.
She went into Mr Warncken’s bedroom and found him collapsed on the floor. She ran to get help from neighbours who began CPR while his girlfriend called an ambulance.
Mr Warncken was taken to hospital but died shortly after arriving at the Emergency Department.
In a statement read to the inquest, his girlfriend said that the night before Mr Warncken died ‘everything was normal’ and that even after calling the ambulance she didn’t consider that he might die.
She added: ‘It seemed all too sudden. It still doesn’t seem real and it feels like he has just gone away and will come back soon.’
Dr Helen Goulding, who carried out the post-mortem examination, explained that an aneurysm in the aorta had ruptured. She added that there was little that could have been done to save Mr Warncken once this had happened.
Deputy Viscount Advocate Mark Harris concluded that the 28-year-old died of a ‘dissective aneurysm of the thoracic aorta’.
Ms Hobson said: ‘There is often a misconception that only older generations and those with unhealthy lifestyles are more at risk of suffering from heart and circulatory diseases, including heart attack and stroke. But the truth is anyone can be affected.
‘Although being older, smoking, being overweight and having a unhealthy diet can increase your risk, there are millions of people who could unknowingly be at high risk due to other factors. This includes people who might have an undiagnosed inherited heart condition, or be at increased risk due to undiagnosed conditions including high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes.
‘It is important to know your family history of heart disease, and if you feel you might be at risk, to visit your GP for a health check. If you are extremely concerned about your heart health, you should visit your local GP for further advice.’
