NAPLES, Fla. — Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among American women over the age of 20, but doctors are now seeing signs of heart trouble in much younger patients — in teenage-hood.
At just 11-years-old, Julianna Reilly has already undergone heart surgeries and wears a monitor daily to track symptoms of a rare condition known as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
“It’s been really hard,” Julianna said. “I always wanted to play sports, but I have to keep taking breaks, and then everybody would make fun of me.”
The condition causes an extra electrical connection in the heart, leading to episodes of rapid heartbeat and dizziness. Julianna was diagnosed when she was just 2-years-old and it caught her family completely off guard, as they have no known family history.
Caity Reilly is Julianna's mom.
Watch as she explains the perspective this journey has given her family:
“It was shocking. Facing critical life events like this, it really makes you appreciate life differently," she said.
While Julianna’s condition is congenital, meaning she was born with it, cardiologists in Naples say many forms of heart disease are preventable.
Dr. Mazen Albaghdadi, a cardiologist with Naples Comprehensive Health and board member for the American Heart Association, says unhealthy habits in childhood often lay the groundwork for major health issues later in life.
“Heart disease can certainly impact people at a younger and younger age if, as a child, you live a very unhealthy lifestyle... because it adds up over time,” Dr. Albaghdadi explained.
According to the American Heart Association:
- 1 in 3 children and teens in the U.S. are overweight or obese
- Nearly 60% of kids have diets high in added sugar
- Children spend more than 7 hours a day on screens, drastically reducing physical activity
