Researchers honoured for identifying ‘Newfoundland curse’
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — A research team was honoured Wednesday for identifying the cause of the “Newfoundland curse” — a deadly heart condition that has afflicted Newfoundland families for centuries.
The condition, known to the medical community as arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, is a genetic cardiac muscle disorder that often shows no symptoms before sudden cardiac arrest.
A team from Memorial University of Newfoundland received the Governor General’s Innovation Award for leading research that identified the genetic mutation and the cause of the lethal heart attacks.
The team also developed a blood screening test for people at risk.