Manchester woman suffers sudden death at 32 - after doctors dismissed heart palpitations as 'stress-related'

'Healthy' Manchester woman suffers sudden death at 32 - after doctors dismissed heart palpitations as 'stress-related' READ MORE: Mum says potentially fatal heart condition was dismissed as UTI By Emily Stearn, Health Reporter For Mailonline Published: 06:17 EDT, 6 August 2024 | Updated: 06:29 EDT, 6 August 2024 e-mail View comments The family of a 'healthy' 32 year-old who suffered a shock death have urged young Brits to be persistent with doctors, after the tragic Manchester woman's symptoms were dismissed as 'just stress'. Rhian Griffiths, who lived in Sale in Manchester, had suffered breathlessness and a racing heart for two years and a half years. But medics — including an A&E doctor — consistently said her problems were related to stress, according to her sister, Ffion Griffiths-Armstrong, 31.

In March 2023, hours after telling her family that her heart was 'playing up', the surveyor was found unresponsive by her mother, having suffered a cardiac arrest. Rhian Griffiths, who lived in Sale in Manchester, was otherwise fit and healthy. But in September 2020 she suddenly began suffering breathlessness and a racing heart which turned out to be the sign of an underlying heart condition.

Following her death, the family were told Ms Griffiths suffered an undiagnosed heart complication called myocarditis , which can weaken the heart muscle and increase the risk of deadly complications including heart attack and stroke. Now, Ms Griffiths-Armstrong is urging people not to ign.