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Student died of rare heart condition that kills without warning
AN Italian student found dead in bed may have died from a rare hereditary condition that kills just 500 people in the country each year, an inquest heard this week.
Michele Camillo Silvers, who was just 21 when he was found dead by his flatmate at their Holloway home in May, may have been a victim of sudden adult death syndrome (Sads).
At a St Pancras inquest into his death on Tuesday, a pathologist warned his family to ensure they are all checked for the sudden killer condition and to pass on Mr Silvers’ post-mortem report to Italian doctors. SADS is caused by an abnormality in the heart’s rhythm.
The court heard Mr Silvers’ body was discovered by his flatmate at the Mackenzie Road flat after she had not seen him for a couple of days.
PC Andrew Robins, of Islington police, said: “She went into his room and saw his still lifeless body and called an ambulance.
“The paramedics had already declared recognition of death when we arrived.”
Although detectives initially treated his room as a crime scene – in accordance with any sudden death – police soon ruled out foul play after finding no marks on his body and no sign of a disturbance in the tidy room.
Pathologist Dr Olaf Biedrzycki, after explaining how he had systematically looked for possible causes of death, said: “It’s one of those cases I’m sorry I can’t tell you for sure what happened.”
A post-mortem revealed Mr Silvers may have suffered a fit prior to his death and could have developed diabetes in later life, although Dr Biedrzycki said a diabetic fit did not kill him.
SADS is the result of heart rhythm abnormalities they are untraceable in death.
This means it is often determined as the cause of death only after every other possible explanation has been excluded – although there are some telltale signs in life such as dizziness and fainting spells. Mr Silvers had suffered from fainting spells twice in his short life, his father said.
Coroner Dr Andrew Reid recorded an open verdict.
SADS campaigners say the number of people dying from the condition is probably higher than the recorded national figure.
Following the death of Camden Town beauty student Beckie Borg earlier this year at the age of 18, her mother Toni Scoullar called for an increase in funding for research into SADS. After Beckie’s death, her mother, brother and nephew undertook tests and discovered they were all at risk from the condition. |
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