A Southall man has urged more people from the South Asian community to take part in medical research after a routine test during a clinical trial revealed he had an undiagnosed heart condition.
Harijit Ahluwalia, 68, discovered he had an abnormal heart rhythm while taking part in a study of a vaccine for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) through his GP practice.
The condition was identified during a routine electrocardiogram (ECG), before he had experienced any symptoms. He was withdrawn from the trial as a precaution, which is standard practice in clinical research, but has since taken part in further studies, including research into a new flu vaccine.
Mr Ahluwalia hopes his experience will encourage more people from the South Asian community to take part in medical research.
He said: “One of the things I discovered through taking part in a study was that I had an abnormal heart rhythm. So, I found out something was wrong with my body before I even realised it myself.”
“To anyone who is thinking of taking part in research, I would say for it – you have nothing to lose and you might find something out about your body that you were not aware of before.”
