Heartbeat: preventing cardiac disorders for youth

Heartbeat is a project promoted by the CCM-Ministry of Health 2014/2015, developed as a prevention measure for cardiac diseases, especially focused on preventing cases of cardiac death in the young. Events in schools continued until 2016.  
Developed by the Italian National Institute of Health in conjunction with the MIUR and with the University of Rome 1 – National Institute for Cardiovascular Research (INRC), the project aims to prevent sudden cardiac death in the young.
It envisages:

• the application of an ECG-based cardiological screening protocol on adolescents between the ages of 16 and 18;  
• a survey to measure stress levels in the young;
• an action to promote health and prevent stress in schools through the teaching of life skills.

Target: lower and upper school students and teachers 
Products: printed and digital material available at the following address
http://www.heartbeat-iss.it/materiali-utili/

The project
The project arises from the need to reduce the persistently high toll of sudden cardiac deaths in the young, which can occur due to hidden cardiovascular anomalies or possible stress-induced cardiac problems. With respect to this latter cause, health promotion actions have been implemented in schools through the teaching of life skills developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). To promote health in schools means stimulating individuals to develop greater awareness and responsibility in terms of correct healthy behaviours.  
Researchers are available to present this resource in schools.

Organization of Reference: Department of Neuroscience
Contact person: Anna De Santi