Cardiologist wants to test all youngsters

Almost each day, a young person drops dead during a cycling tour, a football match, ... Some people even don't have to be sporting before they die. Most of the time it's their heart that gives out.

Leading cardiologist Pedro Brugada (Spanish-Belgian) feels very disturbed by this. Early screening would solved a lot of problems, he claims in today's newspaper.

The minister of health, Maggie De Block, however is not convinced. 'It woud cost too much,' she says. She says if they want to screen every youngster, it would make social security too expensive for the population. And then you must know that we Belgians are among those who pay the highest taxes in the world. Paying double or triple (or even more) for health care would leave us with practically  nothing.

This morning, in a radio program, a doctor was talking about the problem as well. He says people should listen better to their body and more often go and see a doctor if they feel something is not as it should be. And that's just the problem with young people. They don't think they could be ill or that something is wrong with their heart. I know for myself. I'm much more aware of my body than I used to be when I was 20 or 30.

And how about you?