Family of 42-year-old runner says NHS missed warning signs after chest pain was dismissed as indigestion
Inquest finds troponin testing not performed; family calls for accountability to prevent future deaths.
A 42-year-old marathon runner died of a heart attack after chest pain was dismissed as indigestion by hospital medics, an inquest heard. Kristian Hudson, who lived in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, began experiencing chest pains weeks before he collapsed and died while running near Wessenden Head Reservoir. Medics at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton diagnosed the symptoms as indigestion and sent him home without further testing, the Bradford inquest was told.
The inquest heard that no troponin blood test was undertaken, despite NHS guidance that chest-pain patients should be given a blood test to monitor cardiac enzymes. An electrocardiogram, or ECG, was described as normal, though there is no signed record of the results available. The coroner said that had the symptoms been escalated and tested in line with NHS practice, it is possible on the balance of probabilities that the heart disease could have been identified and treated, potentially preventing the death.
Friends described him as the fittest man on the planet. His mother, Debra Hudson, said Kristian was never ill, and spoke of his zest for life. She told the inquest there should be accountability so future deaths can be avoided.
The family are pressing for senior staff to be held to account. The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust has been given until Dec. 19 to respond to the coroner's findings. Joe Chadwick-Bell, the trust’s group chief executive, offered condolences and said the organization could not comment further while discussions continue.
The case comes amid research suggesting warning signs precede most heart events by years. In a landmark study tracking millions across two continents, researchers found that more than 99% of patients who had a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure had at least one major risk factor long before the event. Hypertension was the most common factor, affecting more than nine in ten participants.
Health context: Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide. In the UK, it accounts for about a quarter of all deaths. While most events still occur in older adults, hospital admissions for heart attacks among people in their 30s and 40s have risen in recent years, underscoring the need for early detection and prevention.