Sir Roger Moore supports new campaign to help blackout sufferers

Former James Bond actor Sir Roger Moore has thrown his weight behind a campaign to help people who suffer from blackouts - reports Channel 4.

Blackouts, which happen when people lose consciousness for a short period, affect over half of all Britons at some stage, campaigners said. Most are caused by a little-known heart problem, according to charity STARS (Syncope Trust And Reflex anoxic Seizures).

A new Department of Health-endorsed "blackouts checklist" is available on the STARS website. Anyone with unexplained blackouts can access it to help them and their doctors reach a correct diagnosis.

Blackouts triggered by cardiovascular problems can appear similar to epileptic seizures and are often misdiagnosed as such, the charity said.

A blackout that happens when blood supply to the brain is interrupted is called syncope. But the condition is relatively unknown and it is estimated that over a third of patients diagnosed with epilepsy may have been misdiagnosed, the charity said.

Dr Adam Fitzpatrick, a Cardiologist and Heart Rhythm Specialist from the Manchester Heart Centre, added that increasingly, the use of video-phones for recording an attack is adding huge value to diagnosis.

He said it was important that patients provide as much accurate information as possible when they see their doctor and attend with an eye-witness wherever possible.

Sir Roger, 79, who has suffered from syncope, said: "I was lucky, having blacked out on stage I received excellent and rapid medical attention, and I now have a pacemaker which kicks in whenever my heart rhythm requires a correction. Thousands of sufferers aren't so lucky."

The ex-007 continued: "This checklist is what anyone who has had a blackout should use, as it could save years of confusion, fear and the tragedy of misdiagnosis."

Patients and parents can access a copy of the checklist from www.stars.org.uk.

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