Floyd Hatch’s little brother was just 23 years old and seemingly healthy when his heart abruptly stopped and he “dropped dead” while playing football with friend. Ten years later, Hatch said, his sister, 47, collapsed and died.
Hatch had run 41 marathons when, at age 64, his heart began to fail him. The culprit was plainly not lifestyle; Hatch had a dangerous genetic mutation that affects a protein in the walls of the heart. Further testing showed his 28-year-old daughter Courtney had it, too.
That information has helped Hatch and Courtney Hatch take precautions that could keep them from being blindsided by a heart attack — and administrators at Intermountain Healthcare say a new, extensive genetic study will make similar tests available at no cost to patients statewide.